Coconut Butter + Chocolate = Candy!

Last week, I got lots of fun stuff in the mail. Postcards and letters from pen pals, fancy postcards to send to said pen pals, and a boatload of nut butters from Artisana. I have purchased their cashew butter and Cacao Bliss in the past and loved it, but had not tried many of their other products. They graciously sent me over lots of goodies to try.

Now, I have had ample time to try all of the nut butters they sent me. I picked up a slew of apples and bananas to snack on at work. Between phone calls, I would squeeze a bit on my fruit and take a bite. Super convenient and not messy whatsoever. I really liked their almond butter, and really dug the macadamia butter - it has teeny tiny bits of macadamia nuts in it, which made the texture awesome. I didn't dislike the pecan or walnut butters, but they weren't my favorite of the bunch. I've never really been a fan of either nut, which probably has to do with this. When I was younger, we would have mixed nuts in a wooden bowl on the table. The pecans and walnuts were always my least favorite. Apparently, not much has changed over the years. So, if you like walnuts and pecans, I have a feeling you will like the pecan and walnut butter. 

I used the coconut oil as a moisturizer on my arms and legs after my shower, and it worked wonders. No, this isn't the first time I've done this. If you haven't tried this, I suggest you do (unless you're allergic, then stay away). Next trip I take, I will definitely grab a few of these packets for travel - I wouldn't dare take my jar of coconut oil with me. With my luck, I wouldn't close the jar completely, and it would be a disaster, to say the least. I ate the Cacao Bliss straight out of the package, because its just that delicious. 

 Now, I needed to do something awesome with the coconut butter. I was craving candy when I was mixing the jar, so I decided to chop up little bits of chocolate, mix it with the coconut butter, then freeze it for about then minutes. This took all of fifteen minutes to do, including mixing the settled coconut butter. 

Chocolate Coconut Butter Candies

3 ounces Artisana coconut butter, mixed thoroughly

1/4 ounce chocolate of your choice, roughly chopped (I used Raaka's Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt)

Ice cube mold (or a candy mold, whatever floats your boat)

Step one: mix your coconut butter - make sure its not separated. Like natural peanut butter, this will also have naturally occurring separation of oil and solids.

Step two: chop your chocolate. I chose this chocolate because I figured the sea salt would be a nice touch to the sweetness, and I was so right. Its not strong, but it adds a nice depth to the flavors. You can use whatever chocolate you have on hand. I'm sure it will be delicious any way you make it!

 Step three: put a few bits of chocolate into the bottom of your mold. Scoop a bit of coconut butter into your ice cube tray or candy mold. Make sure to tap the tray or mold lightly (I stress lightly, because you don't want to make a mess - can you tell I've been down this road before?), so remove air bubbles. Place a few pieces of chocolate on the coconut butter. Finish filling the mold with coconut butter, and sprinkle a bit more chocolate on the top. You don't have to put a lot of chocolate, unless you want to. I just put a pinch each time, because I wanted to incorporate it, without mixing it in with a spoon.

Step four: place your tray/mold in the freezer for about ten minutes. Remove and toss in the fridge until you're ready to pop the candies out. I left mine in for about thirty minutes, then transferred them into a wooden bowl. They've been in there for a couple days, and they still taste delicious. I used one of my awesome dinosaur ice cube trays to make these fun, but as I mentioned before, use whatever you have lying around.

My first experience with coconut butter was yummy. If any of you have ways to use your coconut butter in the kitchen, let me know! I'd love to experiment with the rest of the jar!

Instagramification.

 I seriously love getting mail. Last week, I got a TON of goodies. Postcards from pen pals, new postcards to mail out to my friends, samples from Artisana, and samples from LA Fresh. Last month, I did a write-up on LA Fresh's beauty on the go, and they sent me more fun stuff to check out. This time, there is stuff for the guys, so I'm making Erich test some of these out for me!

 Now that I have a desk job, I need to pack snacks to eat healthy and not be tempted by lunch specials at the local restaurants (I have fallen victim lately). Each day, I have been testing a different Artisana nut butter, to be able to write the review. I don't mind getting healthy products to review. It actually helps keep me on track, believe it or not!

 I love driving around with Erich, especially with the windows down in the summer. The other day, I forgot to bring a hair tie with me, so my hair was all over the place. I snapped a picture, to show the mayhem. After seeing how out of control my hair can get if I forget a hair tie, I'm pretty sure that I won't be buying a convertible. Too much of a hair hassle, ha!

I tried out a new photo app, called Pic/Photo Collage. It was free, so I figured I didn't have anything to lose, expect some of my precious time. I tested it out with a few photos from an outfit I wore to a family affair this afternoon. It was really nice seeing this part of my family - I don't see them often, due to varying schedules and distance. Hopefully I will be able to see them before summer comes to an end.

Steve Kardynal's Call Me Maybe

Steve Kardynal is a YouTube sensation that just wants to make you laugh. His bio even states, "Today you need to smile. You need to smile so big it hurts your cheeks. Recently, Kardynal made a video, lip syncing to Carly Rae Jepsens hit, "Call Me Maybe." There is a twist, of course. Kardynal decided to don a wig, lipstick and a bikini, and go onto Chatroulette. I don't know how many times he recorded this, as you can notice a handful of costume changes. Erich and I were laughing hysterically, as Kardynal got an array of reactions from fellow Chatroulette users. Some gave looks of disgust, some laughed, and many sung along with him. I really loved how many males actually knew the lyrics to the song.

If you have a chance, check out other videos on Kardynal's page. Erich is pulling the videos up on his computer as I put this post together. I would love to collaborate on a video with him, that would make my life complete!

Blogger Preview at The Container Store.

Today, I spent part of my afternoon checking out the brand spankin' new organizational haven on Long Island - The Container Store. For those who don't know me very well, I love keeping everything in compartments of some sort. In my bag, in my car, in my closet - various types of storage. So, when I was contacted about this particular blogger preview, I was stoked beyond repair. I had never stepped foot in any of The Container Store's locations, so this was a real treat for me.

Myself and a dozen other bloggers were given a tour of the Westbury store, by Audrey, The Container Store's PR Director. Audrey gave us background on the company, the products, and other awesome pieces of information. Until today, I didn't realize how much this company invested in not only their employees, but also their communities. For the grand opening weekend (which is this Saturday and Sunday), 10% of sales will be donated to The Women's Fund of Long Island. How awesome is that?

Milk crates you don't have to steal - plus, they're colorful. Genius!

Now, The Container Store didn't just decide to give back to the community - they will also be giving back to their customers! On both Saturday and Sunday, they will be giving away prizes every hour, plus one $1,000 elfa Space Makeover each day. If you haven't heard of elfa, you're in for a treat. This is customized organization on a whole new level, for every aspect of your home. I wish I had a reason to reorganize, because I would do it in a heartbeat!

 Creative ways to store odds and ends! I want those LEGO containers!

There are still more goodies to go around. If you spend over $100 at the Westbury store August 11 - 26, you get a $15 Shop Card, which can be used September 1 - 23. With The Container Store covering your bases in all areas of the home (including gift wrap and office supplies), you can't go wrong! I am trying to think of reasons to go back and snag a plethora of goodies I saw. In order to keep my wallet from crying, I decided to make a gift registry for my birthday and Christmas. Yes, you can make one for something other than a wedding or the birth of a child. 

The container store has something for everyone: storage for your LEGO loving nephew, unique tech goodies for your significant other, and the secret santa that you know nothing about, but don't want to look lame for snagging them a bottle of wine (now, you have something rad to put the wine in).

 

Organize with elfa!

I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure at The Container Store in Westbury today. I got to chat with local bloggers, which, believe it or not, doesn't happen often. Most of my blogger pals are across the country, so it was nice to speak with those in my area. If you have time to swing by this weekend, do so. Even if you just go in to snag a few odds and ends (they have a ton, and I bet you won't walk out empty handed), its worth the experience. 

Wrapping up the end of our organizational adventure.