Yummy Treats! Cheesy Steak Sweet Potato Fries! Pictures + Recipe!

Hello Lovelies~

 I have been in a really munchie mood lately and the thing I've been craving the most is Outback Steakhouse's Bacon Cheese Fries! But....sadly, I'm broke. So paying $8 for fries is out of the question. But It's a pretty basic recipe consisting of fries, cheese, bacon, and ranch to dip them in. So it was off to the kitchen!

Upon entry I discovered no potatoes and no bacon, I was SO sad and thought I might have to change my plans.

 But Lucky Me!!!! I found a bag of sweet potato fries in the freezer and a steak! So here is how to make my yummy Cheesy Sweet Potato Steak Fries!

Step 1~ Fry your fries

Step 2~ Let cool as you cook your steak, flavor as you will but to get my taste cook with a drizzle of steak sauce, a splash of hot sauce, and a sprinkle of red wine. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Step 3~ Cover fries with shredded Cheddar and microwave for 1 minute.

Step 4~ Top with steak and eat! (Ranch to dip if wanted)

This took less than 30 mins to make and cost less than $8! (The steak was on sale for $2.32 and the fries were on sale as well, but I can't remember the exact price. But you can use an actual Sweet Potato as well to keep the cost down.)

It was so delicious!

 Have ya'll done anything creative in the kitchen lately? I'd love to hear about it! Or see it!

Tag me on Facebook!  ~ Kathleen Sweitzer

Tweet me! ~ @Angelshinigami

Share a Pin With me!!! ~  Kathleen Sweitzer

Thanks for reading!

 

 

September Inspirations

Hello Lovelies~

 I've been up all night packing to go up to a wonderful convention called Midoricon, which I will be giving a full post about when I get home, but until then, I'd like to leave ya'll with an Inspiration's post to kick off this month right~!

This month is all about Tea for me. Last month was a terrible month all around and one of the things that got me through it was a strong cup of tea in a pretty cup or a gentle cup of tea in a sturdy mug. Both settled my heart and kept me calm through every up and down I experienced.

 At Midori, I'll be hosting a Lolita Tea Party and so while I'm packing my frills, I'm also sipping green tea and looking up fun Tea Treats for all of ya'll to look over and enjoy while I'm gone.

All of these recipes can be found in Full at Tea Time Magazine.



                                                       

                                      Banana Bread Squares with Honey Mousse

 

 

                                              1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
                                              1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
                                              3/4 cup sugar
                                              1 teaspoon baking powder
                                              1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
                                              1/4 teaspoon baking soda
                                              1/4 teaspoon salt
                                              4 medium ripe bananas, mashed until smooth
                                              2 eggs, lightly beaten
                                              1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
                                              2 tablespoons sour cream
                                              1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved, divided
                                              1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
                                              2 tablespoons water
                                              4 egg yolks
                                              1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
                                              2 cups heavy cream
                                              1/4 pound banana chips
                                              Garnish: chopped pecans

                                             Find The Directions Here!!!!

 

                                         Earl-Grey- and Lavender-Infused Cheesecakes

                                                

                                                24 mini vanilla-flavored wafers
                                                2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
                                                1½ tablespoons Earl Grey–lavender black tea leaves*
                                                1 teaspoon dried lavender
                                                2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
                                                2/3 cup sugar
                                                3 large eggs
                                                2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
                                                Garnish: fresh lavender

 

                                               Find The Directions Here!!!!

                                                    Lavender Cream Scones

                                                  2 cups self-rising flour*
                                                  ¼ cup sugar
                                                  ¼ cup cold salted butter
                                                  2 teaspoons dried lavender^†
                                                  1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
                                                  ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
                                                  1 large egg
                                                  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

                                                  Glaze

                                                 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
                                                 4 teaspoons whole milk

 

                                                 Find The Directions Here!!!    

 

 

I hope these recipes inspire you to Slow down,Treat yourself just for being you, and Have a cup of Tea.

 

 If anyone makes any of these treats, let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear all about it.

 

And for those of you who follow me on Facebook (Kathleen Sweitzer) or Instagram (Rosesandcream) or Twitter (@Angelshinigami), I'll be posting pictures from my trip and keeping everyone updated over the weekend.

 

 I'll see you when I get back!

 

 Thanks for reading!

 

Kat

Makeup Confessionals~ Black Eye Shadow and Me

Hello Lovelies~

 I love makeup. Period, end of story. I love it. I used to sit at my mum's side when she would get ready for a date and watch her peruse her vast collection of colors and liners and everything from liquid to solid and I knew the first time she put it on me that I would never be the same again. She taught me everything she knew, going through each step every time she did her make up, they are some of my fondest memories from my childhood.

And while I had the passion for makeup even way back when, I didn't start actively wearing makeup until I was in middle school, and then for awhile I collected lipsticks, but never wore them until my senior year in high school.

 By that point it was relearning how to ride a bike. I hadn't forgotten, but I didn't have any finesse with it either and I was Goth adjacent, Tripp skirts, thigh highs, and heavy eyeliner, oh the joys of the early 2000's.

But the one thing I never learned how to do was apply Black eye shadow. I know! Right? Goth girl who never wore black eye shadow. Pretty rare for back then, but it seemed silly on me and always smeared into a big mess, making me look like I had been hit a few times after far to little sleep.

 So I tried it once and never tried it again. That's it!

'All that for a lousy 'I don't know how to put on black eye shadow'?!

 Yes. Honestly, I've always felt like I was just a step to the left of "Getting It" because of my lacking in this area. The Smokey eye trend came in and I never even attempted it because of my general fear of darker saturated pigments that smear everywhere, even with a good primer.

So Today I was getting ready to for to Free Comic Book Day and I was putting on a dress I usually pair with various pinks and a black eyeliner when I stopped.

 'Why not try something new today?' I thought. It's not like if I didn't like it I couldn't take it off and start over. So I bravely reached for the up opened trio of black, grey, and light silver I got in an Ipsy bag months ago and got to work.

This is the result of hard work and determination to get it right.

I wish I had taken more pictures of just my eyes. I am really proud of how they came out! I'm going to attempt to do this look again on my youtube channel, which will be posted here and on my facebook as well, so look out for that.

  I never thought I would be one for dark eye shadow. I always wanted to brighten my eyes rather than darken them, fearing they would end up looking small, but the black and grey look was really pretty and I think when done right, it's a stunning, head turning look.

Thanks for reading!

 Kat

Kiss the Rain ~ April Inspirations

Hello Lovelies~

 April is here. This year seems to be flying by so fast and before we know it the ground will be a sea of multi colored flowers with the help of rain and the hopes for warm weather.

This month I am looking to water to wash away the worries and pain I've been dealing with for the past few months. And in April, that means rain.

 I love the rain. Shower, Storm, Gentle, or Hard, I love it when it rains. I always feel so clean after it rains, so revived. I hope this month brings you new beginnings and fresh out looks on anything that you feel that has become stagnate in your life.

All of these images were gotten from Weheartit.com.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what's inspiring you this month!!

Design an Outfit ~ Inspired by Ruby Gloom!

Hello Lovelies~

 A few years ago, various Brands got together and each designed a 'Emily the Strange' dress and then styled it accordingly. Personally, I think they all looked the same, but Emily is very cute and simple, so there isn't much that can be designed without taking away her essence.

Emily was very cool with her matching set of cats, Mystery, Miles, Sabbath, and Neechee. Her long dark hair and brooding disposition. But I never really connected with her in more than a, 'I like Emily the Strange', kind of way. I never HAD to have her merchandise in my life, though I do have one of her DS games which is rather fun.

 The Gothic Cartoon icon I connected with, Other than Lydia from Beetlejuice, was Ruby Gloom! From her red hair to her adorable bubbly personality, I just loved her! And now that her show is back on Netflix, I am marathoning them and falling in love all over again!

 Go Canada for making this highly cute and extremely detailed show!

I looked around online to see if any Brands had done a Ruby Gloom Collaboration, like they did with Emily the Strange and Gloomy Bear, but I didn't find any. That's not to say I didn't find an official Brand coordinated outfit though.

From what I have found, the model is Nana Kitade. But I can't find what magazine it came from or when sadly.

** Thanks to a wonderful reader, Muiko, it has come to my attention that the above shot is actually a CD cover! With a bit of looking around, I found that Nana Kitade apparently did the CD under the name 'Ruby Gloom'.

 The title of the CD is called 'Siren', which is also the title track. It was made for the Japanese release of Ruby Gloom and used as the opening theme song.

There is also a corresponding music video on Youtube. The link is below. I'll admit, it has a cute look. But as a Ruby Gloom fan, you could tell this was a concept rather than a work of love.

 I mean....there was lightening and Misery didn't even get hit! o.o

Nana Kitade 'Siren' Music Video HERE!!  

Thanks Muiko!!! **


 So I thought it would be fun to design my own Ruby Gloom inspired outfit!

Originally, I wanted to use a black version of the 2006 Metamorphose Lucky Pack Dress I own, but I couldn't find any pictures of either version of the dress, so I changed my vision up a bit.

 Below is the ' Mon ange bien-aime ' OP from Alice and the Pirates. I chose this dress for a few different reasons. Mainly, I like the shape. All you'd need is a light A-line petticoat to help hold the given shape and that's it. It's a wonderful casual dress, while at the same time it looks very dressy and elegant.

The elegance of this dress really steals my breathe. I also like that the long sleeves are detachable, so it's multi-seasonal.

 Below is the same dress with the sleeves removed. They didn't show the black version without the sleeves.

It so cute and is perfect for Ruby. And I have been assured that the black version is fully black, with different black dyes rather than Black and Dark Green.

Next is the most important part of the outfit! The socks! Any A-line, puffy sleeved dress will do for Ruby Gloom, but to capture her whimsy, the socks are key.

 I found these socks on Sockdreams.com and they are the Over the Knee Rugby Socks. The red and gold is currently sold out, but they are perfect for Ruby. I chose these over other red/orange and yellow socks because of how vibrant they are.

These socks add a touch of 'Cartoon' to the outfit that adds charm to the final product.

For Shoes, I turned to Secret Shop. While not normally my Go To shop, they do have cute shoes perfect for multi outfit wear.

These have a slight heel for posture, but are relatively low to the ground in keeping with Ruby's flat Mary Janes.

 And there we have it! Her outfit is rather simple with little extra to wiggle about or change to drastically.

For a little cheeky fun for a Mega Ruby Fan, you can add a heart and cross bones shaped headdress with a skull wearing an interchangeable hat in the middle, with a few hearts hanging from the Heart and crossbones, to play on Ruby's crush on her friend Skull boy. And one bat and one ghost earring to represent Scaredy Bat and Booboo the ghost. You could even carry a purse that looked like an eyeball for Ruby's friend Iris!

The less obvious touches are what would make this outfit the most fun for me! But they aren't needed to have a Ruby Gloom Inspired Outfit!

 I hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading!!!       

March Insparations!

Hello Lovelies~

 It's March already! And time for another Inspirational post!~

This month, I wanted to do something a bit different and instead of pictures, I am posting quotes that inspire me.

All of these quotes were found on Pinterest.

 

 I hope some of these quotes make you nod and say "yes, I agree," or laugh, or whatever inspires you most this month. My favorite quote from these pictures, happens to be the one from the beautiful Miss Marilyn Monroe. "Being Normal is Boring!". So, So Boring. 

Thanks for reading!

LBC : Create a Romantic Outfit

Hello Lovelies~

 Today is Valentines day! So happy Valentine's day! As today is Friday, it's also LBC day and I'm very excited to present to you the Romantic Outfit we were invited to create.

When I think 'Romantic', my mind immediately thinks of creamy lace and soft roses. Elegant pearls and up swept hair. So the look I put together is a Classic Sweet look with a nod to Regency elegance.


 The dress below is part of the 'Rococo Fleur' collection Mary Magdalene released in 2007. I like that it is considered an both an OP and a JSK. The wider straps are perfect for those of us who don't like layers, but can still be worn over a blouse if that's your style.

A triple strand pearl necklace never misses it's make on elegance in my book. Keep it more of a choker look, rather than a loose layered look and if you like, you can even add a pearl bracelet. But remember the unspoken rule of pearls.

Well...My Unspoken rule of pearls at least.

 I always subtract a strand from the necklace to the bracelet. Such as! If I wear a triple strand at my throat, I wear a double strand at my wrist. If I wear a double strand I wear a simple strand pearl bracelet. And if I wear a simple strand a my throat, I don't wear a bracelet at all, but a ring or two would be fine.

Enough about my strange Jewelry quirks.

 With this dress, Tights are key. So I would go with a pair of soft white tights to blend the look, but if you want to go for a bit of the unexpected and live in color, pair light green tights to match the vines and leaves.

Below is the link to We Love Color. It's a wonderful sight dedicated to tights and they have over 50 colors available up to a double E!

We Love Color = Color Guide

 I found this picture on Pintrist and thought it was perfect for this outfit. Any bridal hair style would be good, but this style reminded me of a modern take on a classic regency updo. I would even do it with the small roses to pin it in place, rather than go for and traditional Lolita hair accessories.

To add a bit of strong contrast to this outfit, I decided to pair it with brown shoes. Not as harsh as black in the contrast and it still lends an elegant gentility.

 The shoes I chose are the  'Roseline Shoes' from Innocent World, which is currently available on there site. It's got a gentle 2 1/2 inch heel and has both an ankle strap and it ties in the front with a ribbon. I really like this shoe!

I then paired the shoes with an IW bag from 2011. The 'Versailles Rose' bag didn't have any much to it, but was still a commanding piece all on it's own. I like the shape and thought it added just the right classic touch to round out the outfit.

Thank you for reading and I hope you liked the outfit! I had a blast putting it together!

 Happy Valentines Day!!!

Kat

                Please check out the other lovely ladies that participated in this weeks LBC~

Beyond Kawaii                                                Whimsical Adventures of Me

Northern Star                                                   Pretty Little Habits

Pink Lace + Glitter                                          Parasol Obsession

New Vogue Children                                       Breidholt

Lolita Glamour                                                Vanilla Straumfabrik

Her Lumpiness                                                 Hello Batty

February Inspirations! (Picture Heavy)

Hello Lovelies~

 Welcome to February! This is one of my favorite months because it's dedicated to Love! (And chocolate) It's dedicated to Pink and Red and White! (And Chocolate) It's dedicated to Roses and Valentines and, you guessed it, Chocolate!

So to start the month off right, I thought I'd do an Inspiration Post! I found so many pictures for this month I couldn't choose which to post, so I decided to share all of them!

 All of these pictures were found on either Weheartit.com or Google.

I hope these pictures inspire you to Dream more, Create more, Love more, whatever it is. Even if they just inspire you to smile for a moment. I hope they inspire you.


 Now as a bonus~

 I found this picture while browsing about and I couldn't help but laugh. So I wanted to share it with all of you!