Brown Sugar Cookies

I, for one, am a HUGE fan of the brown sugar flavor. 

It reminds me of my mama because she used to put brown sugar on my oatmeal before I'd go to school in the mornings. 

So, these cookies had to be nothing short of amazing. 

And let me tell you, they're AMAZING.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Shopping List

1. 2 cups of flour

2. 1 teaspoon of baking soda

3. 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch

4. 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

5. 1/4 teaspoon of salt

6. 3/4 cup of butter, melted and cooled to room temp.

7. 1 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar

8. 1 egg, room temp.

9. 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

10. 1/3 cup of granulated sugar

Recipe

1. Mix all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl together {numbers 1-5}.

2. Mix tougher your brown sugar and your butter in a medium sized bowl until there are no lumps. 

3. Beat in your egg and vanilla extract. 

4. Mix together your wet and dry ingredients until fully mixed. 

5. Chill your ingredients for at least 2 hours. 

6. Take your dough out, and allow it to come to room temp for about 15 minutes. 

7. Make balls of dough, roll them in your granulated sugar, and put them on your baking sheet. 

8. Bake at 325 degrees for about 11 minutes, or until the tops start to get a little crinkly.

9. Take them off the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack. 

10. Enjoy!

Enjoy these gorgeous cookies! Send them in your favorite people's lunch bag and watch their eyes light up when they get home to tell you about their new favorite cookies!

Friday Favorites!

Friday Favorites! Woohoo!

Y'all ready for this?!

Friday Favorites!

ONE

Well... sadly, I have to start off with one that's NOT my favorite. #boo.

Anyone else get caught with the crappy cold that's going around right now?  Because I sure did! I'm just trying to make sure I don't pass it off to my man. 

Because yuck. 

Hoping this passes quickly! #nyquiltotherescue

TWO

Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to my favorite posts from this week! 

Not sure if you guys caught this, but I posted A Day In The Life post this week for all of you curious girls!

We had fun just showing you around a typical relaxing weekend day :)

As far as recipes go, you know I couldn't skip out on that! Here's what else I shared with you this week!

Monster Cookie Bars with a Fudge Filling

3 cheers for yum!

And...

Caprese Lasagna Rolls

Those babies disappeared  quickly!

THREE

This gorgeous weather has been my new favorite! Cole has been loving it too. His favorite spot to lay down is out on the porch. 

Or hanging his whole head out of the car. This is his absolute favorite part about going for a car ride!

And yes, those pics show 'not so nice' weather... but he does this every single day anyways ;)

FOUR

My next favorite? Looking at new bed sets! 

We sold all of our things to come back to the mainland from Hawaii... so we've had a bed {because I made sure that was the first thing we bought. Mama ain't sleepin' on the floor} since the first week we moved here... but it looks so bare without a bed set!

I'm thinking about going with a classic deep brown wood. I want something very warm that makes you want to climb into bed. 

Plus, deep brown pretty much goes with anything if we ever decide to change our decor up. Right now our decor is a halfway point between farmhouse and cabin decor.

FIVE

Last, but certainly not least....

Nursing school!

I am applying to several as we speak for the upcoming fall semester.

I am so excited to be following my dream, even after the incredibly eventful turn that my year life has taken.



Life becomes so much more exciting with goals in mind!

I don't want to share what schools I'm applying to, but I will tell you, that this is a huge load of work!

But so worth it :)



Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Monster Cookie Bars with a Fudge Filling

Did this catch your eye?!!

I bet it did!

Because even the name of these bars sounds good. 

Don't wait another minute. You NEED these!

Monster Cookie Bars with a Fudge Filling

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction recipe book.

Shopping List

1. 1 1/3 cups of flour

2. 2/3 cup of oats {regular cooking, not quick cooking}

3. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

4. 1 stick of salted butter, room temperature

5. 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed

6. 1/4 cup of granulated sugar

7. 1 egg, room temperature

8. 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

9. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

10. 3/4 cup of M&Ms

11. 7 oz of sweetened condensed milk

12. 1 cup of semi-sweetened chocolate chips

13. 1 tablespoon of salted butter

14. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Recipe

1. Mix together your flour, oats, and baking soda in a large bowl. 

2. In a medium sized bowl, cream your butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. 

3. Once creamed, add in your egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. 

4. Line a 8x11 glass baking dish with tin foil. Make sure it has over hang so that you can lift it out with your hands when you're completely done.

5. Spread 2/3 of your mixture evenly across the bottom of your dish.

6. Add in your M&Ms to the rest of the mixture, gently. 

7. Melt your sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and butter together until it's completely melted and creamy. 

8. Spread your fudge over your 1st layer of the bar evenly. 

9. Spread the rest of the mix with M&Ms over the fudge. There won't be enough to cover the whole thing. So just spread it as far as possible, but don't worry about some fudge peeking through.

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

11. Let it cool completely. Then lift it out of the pan by holding the tinfoil. Cut into even squares.

12. Enjoy!

You and everyone you love is going to go crazy for these! You're about to be the belle of the ball with these babies!

Friday Favorites!

Here we are again! Welcome back, ladies! 

I hope y'all have been joining me throughout the week. I love seeing your 'faces' pop up in my comments section! 

Alrighty. Are you ready to hear my favorites from the 10th week in the year?? Crazy! 

Friday Favorites

ONE

Bath and Body Works....

Do I even really need to say much more?? 

I love love LOVE coordinating our home with decor and scents. 

Bath and Body Works is the place to do that! 

I love their candles, but sadly I don't have any on hand. I just hate how expensive they are. But I've yet to find another brand that I love just as much, but without the price tag. 

Anyone have any suggestions??

But, that being said, their soaps were on sale this week! So these are the DELICIOUS smelling kinds I got :)

{Island Margarita, Mango Dragonfruit, Fresh Watermelon Lemonade, Salted Pineapple Punch}

Let me just ask... how is it possible that the names of SOAP are making my mouth water so much??? 

Spring/Summer here we come! 

TWO

So we literally bring Cole everywhere with us. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that I'm a softie mama ;) 

So, we brought him to the park the other day, and this pic is of him refusing to get in the swing. And I don't blame him. Ha!

I think park days are going to be a new favorite of ours in the summer! 

Also, I have a Day In The Life post coming up all about what else we did on this day! It's nothing crazy, but it'll be fun for those of you who are curious about our life out there. So, keep an eye out for that coming next week!

THREE

Woohoo! Hair appointment coming up! But I think I need some ideas. 

I'm currently in that 'awkward in between' stage of growing out my hair from an A-line bob.

It's just a smidge past my shoulders right now, and I'm totally getting the itch to cut it back to that short length again. It just looked so fresh, adorable, and I hardly ever had to style it. 

Here's the issue with that. I've always wanted to try long hair! Not sure that it'll look good on me, but I am trying to grow it out for our wedding so that I have more hair to work with under the veil!

I'm thinking I want long loose waves at our wedding, so cutting it short may not be the best decision. 

Anyone have any suggestions? 

I also know that I want to keep my light blonde hair up top {that's my natural color, and going darker is very harsh on me}, but not sure if I want to do a fun color underneath my hair?! Hmmm... decisions!

FOUR

So, y'all, I have some pretty fun recipes coming up for you in the next few weeks. They're scrumptious, easy, and totally hubby approved! But until those get here, let me show you the one I've shared with you this week!

Berry Pineapple Angel Food Cake

FIVE

Easter candy, y'all. I couldn't help myself. 

Ugh. And now I'm paying for it.

I picked these up the other day at Target. I LOVE the creme eggs. My total favorite!

SIX

Okay, so if any of y'all have ever walked the streets of Santa Monica, or LA, or many of the places in California, you may have tried this fruit.

And if you haven't tried it, you need to. 

It may not be so kid friendly, just because kiddos are picky, but it would be a great 'grown up treat' ;) 

And hey, more power to ya if your little ones are willing to try this! 

Tajin and Lime Fruit

This is what it looks like when you get it from a street vendor. 

Basically it's a bunch of cut up fruit tossed in some lime juice and Tajin. And yes, you can find Tajin in the grocery store! 

Enjoy your 'exotic' new treat ;)

SEVEN

Infused water. 

Yes!

Okay, so I love water anyways. You might think I'm crazy, but I cannot get enough water. I usually drink around a gallon a day. 

Because I like it. 

But, I have been trying out some infused water. And it makes it much more flavorful!

My fave? Mint and lemon juice. 

But you can try a bunch! 

I've heard a lot of people like to add blackberries, and strawberries, and even vanilla beans!

Tell me what you like to have in your water. I'd love to know!

#Summer

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Berry Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is about to be the easiest recipe you've ever seen...

It's 3 ingredients. That's IT!

Are you ready for this??

Berry Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Shopping List

1. Angel food cake mix

2. 1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, NOT drained

3. Berries of your choice {I love strawberries and blueberries with this one!}

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the angel food cake mix and the pineapple until it is combined completely. 

3. Grease a 9x13 pan {or a bundt pan if you prefer} and pour your cake mix in. It will look like a lot of cake mix in there, but mine never overflowed.

4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

5. Let it cool completely before cutting into it. 

6. Top with berries of your choice!

7. Enjoy!

Um, could it get any easier?? Also, one serving is only 150 calories. And it's SO GOOD. 

This is such a fun change for regular angel food cake {even though I still love that!}

Let me know what y'all think when you make this easy, crowd pleasing dessert!

Friday Favorites!

Well, well, well... here  we are again! Welcome back my dears :)

Happy Friday! 

Friday Favorites

ONE

My ultimate favorite??? A clean home!!! Anyone else? 

I love to walk in the door and have a clean home. Nothing on the floor, and the countertops aren't cluttered with old dishes that we haven't cleaned yet... 

That being said, sometimes it's inevitable that your home will not be as clean as you like it... {uh hmmm.. boys. I'm looking at you!} So, I'm learning to embrace a messy home. Why? Because that means you have the ones you love around you to make the mess :) 

But, it still doesn't take away the fact that I'd love it to be clean! So, the new rule that we've been following for the past month is that we have to have the kitchen clean before we leave to go anywhere, and before we go to bed. That way, you always wake up and come home to a clean house. And let me tell you, it's been working! 

So I encourage you to put something like this in place for your home! It doesn't take long to clean up when everyone's helping, and there's a lot less stress when the first thing you're seeing ISN'T a dirty home :)

Happy cleaning!

TWO

Have any of y'all been watching Duck Dynasty,  and Jep & Jessica?? 

I seriously cannot get enough of these shows. 

Somethin' about this family just makes me wanna be friends with them :)

The mama's in the show just seem so real, you can see their everyday struggles with their kids, and they're doing it all themselves! They love Jesus, and love their family, and that's why I wanna be friends with them! 

Love. And I love that they pray before they end every show. With such a large platform, I love that they use that to get the word out about Jesus!

Plus, they're hilarious.

THREE

So I mentioned last week to y'all about the Dose of Colors liquid lips... 

LOVE. Cannot get enough of them. So I decided to be prepared for summer {because that's the responsible thing to do, right?? ;) } and I picked up 3 more colors....

I mean, what's a girl to do?? These are so comfortable, they have beautiful colors, they don't move from your lips, and they really don't ever need to be reapplied. 

Have I convinced you yet? No? Well, let me just say, no more reapplying your lipstick, no more lipstick on the teeth, no more lipstick smudges on your hubby {even though I think it's cute on him, he doesn't like it quite as much}, and you hardly have to think about the color moving or fading. 

Am I sponsored by them? Absolutely not. Did I pay for these with my own money? Absolutely I did. I just don't want y'all to miss out on amazing products just because you aren't 100% convinced. I urge you to pick at least one color {maybe one you could see yourself wearing everyday} and watch the easiness of it change your day! 

Treat yourself ladies :)

I now have Stone, Bare with Me, Coral Crush, Pinky Promise, and Merlot. 

{Stone}

{Bare with Me}

{Coral Crush}

{Pinky Promise}

{Merlot}

The colors that I would think could be an everyday color for most women would be Stone, Bare with Me, and Truffle {I don't have that one}.  I have heard that Stone is better for cool skin tones { if your veins show up blue} and Truffle is better for warm skin tones {if your veins show up green}. Bare with Me is a perfect everyday nude. But honestly, I love all the colors. And I know you won't be disappointed. Have some fun with a new lippie :)

I will be doing a review on these on YouTube, so keep an eye out for that video if you want swatches and a full review!

FOUR

These Kirkland rugs... Don't you love it?!

Our color scheme for our home is Dark browns, deep red, and mustard. It sounds a little odd, but it's very calming and soothing colors. For the Spring and summer, we add in green and white. For the Fall and winter time, we add in orange and deep greens.

So this rug goes great. And it's only about $7. So I got 2 and put one down in front of my sink, and one down right when you walk in the front door. I love the pop of color, and these could honestly go with so many color schemes!

And Coley likes it too ;)

FIVE

My last favorite??? 

Easter

Candy. 

Stop it more. 

I love the Cadbury Creme Eggs, The Robins Eggs, and The Reese's Eggs. 

Any one else with me on these? Sorry if I just made your tummy growl ;) 

Guess you'll need to make a trip to the store!

Speaking of food, don't miss out on the recipes I shared for you this week!

Shredded Chicken {Slow Cooker Version}

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Stay Connected With Me!

YouTube:  The Fashionista Housewife

Instagram: rachmo4

Snapchat: rachrach4

Have a wonderful weekend,  y'all. See you back here on Monday for some Makeup Monday action! 

Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So common y'all. But a good classic cookie is very understated. 

I found the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe under the lid of the oatmeal. And I've already made them 5 times. We took them to our neighbors and coworkers here!

The chocolate chip cookies I found online. But they were just glorious.

My one tip for super delicious cookies is to cook them so they stay soft. I always stay on the lower end of the recommended time to cook them. Then when I take them out of the oven, I leave them on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes. It cooks them just a bit more and they stay soft the whole time! Just the best :)

Feel free to switch these up if you'd like! I've added walnuts and chocolate to the raisin ones. And I've added M&Ms to the chocolate chip ones. Feel free to get crazy ;) 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Shopping List

1. 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons of butter, softened
2. 3/4 cups of brown sugar
3. 1/2 cup of white sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla
6. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
7. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
8. 1/2 teaspoon of salt
9. 1 1/2 cups of flour
10. 3 cups of uncooked oatmeal (can be quick cooking or regular)
11. 1 1/2 cup raisins

Recipe

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients together well. They will become creamy when done.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Add in your eggs and vanilla and mix well until incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together your baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Mix well!
5. Add in your flour mixture to your sugar and butter mixture. Mix until it forms into a dough consistency.
6. Add in your oats and raisins. Mix well.
7. Take a melon baller (or a tbs measuring spoon) and make even size balls of dough. Place about 12 on your cookie sheet about  1 inch apart.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes. I usually bake for 9.
9. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shopping List
1. 8 tablespoons of butter, softened
2. 1/2 cup of white sugar
3. 1/4 cup of brown sugar
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla
5. 1 egg
6. 1 1/2 cups of flour {plus some extra}
7. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
8. 1/4 teaspoon of salt
9. 3/4 cup of chocolate chips

Recipe
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together your butter and sugars until smooth.
3. Add in your vanilla and egg and stir until smooth. Do not over stir.
4. Stir in your flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until all mixed in. Add in a small amount of flour and mix until it is a dry and smooth ball of dough. If the dough does not stick to your hands, you're probably good to go! Don't be afraid to use more than 1 1/2 cup of flour. You are supposed to!
5. Mix in the chocolate chips just until combined.
6. Form about 12 balls of dough on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until they look dry and the tops are a bit golden. It's okay that they don't look done! They will continue to bake outside the oven!
8. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes.
9. Enjoy with your most favorite people!

Hope these are helpful recipes to you. You can easily take either one of these and mix and match with flavors and such.

Let me know if yours turned out as dreamy as mine did :)

Valentines Day Brownie Truffles with Strawberries

Are you a chocolate lover?? Cause, if you are, this is going to be the PERFECT recipe for you! 

But beware. This is super chocolatey!! That's why I paired it with the strawberries. It gave it the perfect contrast!

Be prepared to win over your tribe :)

Brownie Truffles with Strawberries

Shopping List

1. 4 oz. of unsweetened baking chocolate

2. 2 sticks of butter (equaling 1 cup)

3. 4 eggs

4. 2 cups of sugar

5. 1 tsp. of vanilla

6. 1 1/4 cup of flour

7. 1/2 tsp. of baking powder

8. 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

9. Any kind of fun toppings you'd like! (Sprinkles, melted white chocolate chips, etc.)

Recipe

1. Chop up the baking chocolate and 2 sticks of butter and microwave it until it is all melted together. I put it in for 30 seconds at a time and stirred it every time it came out of the microwave! 

2. Allow your buttery chocolate concoction to cool and combine your eggs, sugar, and vanilla until they are completely mixed together!

3. Slowly add in your chocolate concoction to the egg mixture and make sure it is all combined. 

4. In another bowl, mix your flower and baking soda together, then combine it with the chocolate mixture. 

5. Preheat your oven to 350, and spray a 9x13 pan. 

6. Pour your mixture into the pan and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the brownies are cooked. 

7. Once the brownies are cooked, let them cool completely, and then fluff them all up with a fork so that they are separated!

8. Form them into small balls (make sure they're smaller than mine. I made the mistake of making them too big that it's too much chocolate in one...) and then stick them into the freezer for about 20 mins. 

9. Melt your chocolate chips.

10. Dip your balls into the chocolate and then let them set on a baking sheet in the fridge. Any decorations that are not melted chocolate (like sprinkles or anything else) need to be applied to the truffles before they are set. 

11. Serve on a bed of freshly cut strawberries and enjoy! I recommend keeping these in the fridge!

These would be perfect to make for your loved one for Valentines day! Put some cute pink sprinkles on them, and set them in pink and red cupcake liners in a heart shaped box. Even more perfect to serve them with strawberries!