Christmas Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake

Like this post if you liked my use of alliteration in the title 😉

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3. 2 teaspoons baking soda
4. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
5. 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6. 1 teaspoon salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
9. 2 cups unsweetened cherry sauce
10. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
11. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
12. 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
13. One 12-ounce bag semisweet-chocolate chips
14. Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
15. Crème fraîche, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup round pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cloves and pepper. Whisk in the cherry sauce, eggs, oil and melted butter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
3. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake cool for about 30 minutes. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the cake, slice and serve with crème fraîche (or if you live in a warmer climate, you can serve with vanilla ice cream).

Already half eaten 😉

Hope you all have a happy holiday! I would love to know what kind of dessert your making this holiday season 🙂 Let me know in the comment section below.

-Caitlyn

Christmas Party Playlist Ideas

Some of you might remember that, back in October, I shared a Halloween music playlist with you. I have decided to put together some Christmas songs for all of you as well. Sometimes it’s hard to pick and choose songs that everyone likes, but I am sure you will find some interesting songs on this list. 

1. “All I want for Christmas is New Year’s Day” by Hurts
2. “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey
3. “Frosty the Snowman” by Jimmy Durante
4. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Hillary Duff
5. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
6. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
7. “Santa Baby” Taylor Swift’s version, Kylie Minogue’s version
8. “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson
9. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
10. “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney

I would love to know what your favourite Christmas songs are! Leave a comment and let me know what they are 🙂 

-Caitlyn

 

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

So it’s that wonderful time of year again and you’ve bought all the main gifts for your friends and family, but then the thought hits you: What about stocking stuffers? Well if you’ve run out of ideas or need some inspiration, I have just the list you need!

1. Gift cards (Starbucks, H&M, iTunes and -if you live in Canada- Indigo)
2. FUZZY SOCKS!!!! (for your mother, sister, daughter, and best friend)
3. Scented candles
4. Body lotions/ shower gels
5. Hand sanitizers (There are some great ones at the Bath and Body Works – my favourite is Winter Candy Apple)
6. Make-up
7. Nail polish
8. Accessories
9. Perfume/Cologne
10. Different kinds of tea
11. Travel sized board games
12. DVD’s /CD’s
13. Ear buds
14.  CHOCOLATE (You can never go wrong with chocolate!)
15. T-shirts
16. A tie (for men)
17. Sports gear
18. Shaving cream
19. And of course you could always make a DIY stocking stuffer

Make sure to check out Forever 21 and Topshop. They have some really nice gifts for her and some for him as well (you just have to look around).

Let me know in the comments what gifts and stocking stuffers you’re getting for your loved ones. Also, I would love to know what you’re looking forward to this holiday season! (Don’t forget to follow) 🙂

-Caitlyn

Songs For Your Halloween Party Playlist

The title says it all.

It’s that time of the year again. I’m sure many of you are invited to some sort of Halloween party and eagerly preparing your costume. But what about the people who are HOSTING the party? They have a lot to prepare, and one of those things is the MUSIC! Sometimes it is hard to choose which music to play at your party. Let’s just say that I am here to help. Here is a list of songs to play at your Halloween party (most of them are pretty old, so bear with me).

1. “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band
2. “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater revival
3. “Boris the Spider” by the Who
4. “Clap for the Wolfman” by Guess Who
5. “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
6. “I Want Candy” by The Strangeloves
7. “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads
8. “Scary Monsters” by David Bowie
9. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell (super cool!)
10. “The Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett (one of my favourite Halloween songs)
11. “This is Halloween” from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas
12. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson (same goes for this one)
13. “Witch Doctor” by David Seville (Love this one too!)
14. “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles

And there you have it. I would love to know which songs you will be using at your Halloween party (let me know in the comment section below)! 🙂

Reading List (October 2013)

I have been quite busy this month, but I have still managed to get some reading done! Here are the books I have read so far this month:

1. Haunting Violet – Alyxandra Harvey
2. The Lives We Lost – Megan Crewe
3. Halloween Trivia – Tonya Lambert

Haunting Violet

I found this book rather interesting. One thing that I didn’t like is the overuse of the word SWOON. I hate when words are repeated too many times in one chapter! Drives me crazy.

Summary:

Violet Willoughby doesn’t believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother’s elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother’s scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she’s known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

The Lives We Lost

As I mentioned in my last reading list, I was trying to get my hands on a copy of this book. Now I finally have it! I have not finished reading this one yet (I am near the end), but I love it!

Summary:

First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.

But she can’t look back—the life she once had is gone forever.

A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father’s abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?

Halloween Trivia 

I absolutely adore this book! It is the cutest thing ever! I contains folklore, jokes, customs passed down through out the ages, and much more! It was definitely worth buying.

Discription:

Halloween is one of the most celebrated times of the year among North Americans. Find out in this fun-filled, fascinating collection of little-known facts about all of the odd customs of Halloween and where they originated.

(All summaries from Goodreeds )

That’s all for now! Feel free to leave some suggestions on what books I should read. Who knows, maybe it will be in next month’s reading list (plus credits to you for the suggestion). 🙂

Make sure to follow my blog 😉

-Caitlyn

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

As some of you might know, I have taken a 7 day tip to Hamburg. I’m back and ready to blog 😉

I managed to take some good pictures for this weeks photo challenge. Make sure to let me know what you think in the comment section below and if you’re not already, make sure to follow my blog 🙂

 

 

Update: Trip to Hamburg

*UPDATE* I am on a train to Hamburg as I write! I just wanted to ask all of you what you would like to see on my blog while I am there. Videos? Photos? 5 top restaurants to visit if you end up travelling to Hamburg? A Haul? Make sure to let me know in the comment section. 

When I get back to Toronto however, I have another Book List planned for all of you! Here’s a sneak peek at one of the books:

Review: Astor Fashion Studio Nail Polish

So as many of you may know I have recently bought some new  makeup/nail products as I mentioned in my Mini Makeup Haul post. Today I will be reviewing my new Astor Fashion Studio nail polish. To be more specific, the Changing Metal Effect nail polish in the colour 260 Sophisticated Gold.

 

This nail polish was a gift from a friend who recently returned from a trip to Europe. I wasn’t really sure about the colour of this polish but I really like it now, especially the pearlescent look of it.

 

The nail polish lasts quite a while and it drys quickly. As you can see from the two pictures above, you don’t even need two coats to get a nice colour on you nails. If you want a more concentrated colour than I would definitely suggest applying two coats. It all depends on the tone of colour you want to get out of this cool nail polish.

As I mentioned before this nail polish was one of the presents a friend got for me, so I don’t know the exact price. However, I have done a little research online and I estimate that it was between $1-2.

 

Make sure to let me know what you think in the comment section below and if you aren’t already, make sure to follow my blog.

Until next time,                                                                                               -Caitlyn

 

 

Mini Makeup Haul! (October)

Get excited because I have a mini haul to show everyone! I know it’s October and some of you may be expecting some Halloween type items, but the things I will show are just regular things.  Three of these items were gifts from my best friend (that she bought in Europe), so I don’t know exactly what she paid for them but I have looked up those products and can only give you an approximation. 🙂

 

 

Products: 

  

Astor:

Fashion Studio changing metal effect nail polish       Colour: 260 Sophisticated Gold                     Price: $1-2

Essence:

Effect nails 3D pearls        Colour: 07 candy buffet          Price: approx. $2.49

 

  

Maybelline:

24hr Colour Tattoo by Eyestudio     Colour: 65 Pink Gold     Price: $8.99 (However, I got mine for only $6.95)

 

Manhattan:

High shine lip gloss          Colour: 35T               Price: approx. $4.99

Flormar:

Deluxe Cashmere Lipstick          Colour: DC23           Price: around $9.85

 

So that’s all for now. If you would like me to review any of these products, feel free to let me know in the comment section below and if you aren’t already, make sure to follow my blog. 🙂

-Caitlyn

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

Lately I have been looking for some fun tags to do on my blog. One thing I noticed is that a lot of those tags get passed around by one person tagging another person. Well obviously I was not tagged in those, and I clearly don’t want to ruin the spirit of those tags by posting one without being tagged. (Confusing sentence!)

Anyways, I stumbled upon one tag that, it seems, anyone can do. Although I am not exactly a beauty blogger, my blog will have more beauty posts in the future. After all, I am a new blogger (I only started at the beginning of September. So now, let’s get down to business. I found this tag on http://www.beautybroadcast.net/ . Here goes nothing!

 

1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?

I rarely use a base coat before I apply nail polish. Mainly because I always forget. 🙂

 

2. Is washing your make-up brushes something that you do regularly?

Oh, well this is awkward. The answer is no. I don’t. I don’t always use a makeup brush as I don’t put any powders on my face.

 

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

I don’t even last 1 minute with chipped nails. I become obsessive and chip away all the nail polish on my nails. 😛

 

4. How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need it?

If I really need it, I buy the product as soon as I can, after finding out that it has run out! If I don’t need it that badly, then I put off replacing that beauty product for maybe a few days to a week.

 

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

Not being able to keep my nails long. No, I don’t bite my nails, for those of you wondering, but I just can’t manage to keep myself from breaking them. I don’t know if breaking them is the right word or not but that’s how it is.

 

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?

I always put off doing my laundry 😦

 

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute?

No! I start getting ready at least one hour prior to heading out. And of course I get obsessive sometimes and instead of one hour it becomes 1 hour and 30 minutes.

 

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

Sometimes. Only when I am tired of shopping. Which doesn’t happen too often. 😉

 

9. How organized are your make-up and nail polish collections?

Extremely organized! I end up re-organizing my collections again and again just for the hell of it!

 

I know the answers are really short, but that’s all for now. If there are any tags (they don’t necessarily have to be about beauty) that you would like to me to do, then let me know in the comment section below, and if you aren’t already, make sure to follow my blog. 

-Caitlyn