outfit post: cat tights

An important step you must complete on your way to becoming a crazy cat lady is purchasing a pair of cat tights.  I can now check that off my to-do list!

I have absolutely no shame, and am so so in love with these.  I first wore them in Edmonton when I was out visiting Clara, and to say she was a bit horrified would be an understatement. Ha!  She's not really a cat person, and I got quite a bit of enjoyment over her revulsion.

(She does like kittens though....so all hope is not lost yet).

Anyway, moving on....This dress is the newest in my quite large collection of lace dresses.  It's mint lace, has a sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, and the length actually hits my knees instead of mid-thigh like every other dress out there.  I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that I can wear it without tights!

I got it on a wicked sale at urban outfitters, so it was dirt cheap.  Man, do I love sales!

dress: urban outfitters // cardigan: front and co (consignment) // tights: ebay // shoes: charlotte russe

These photos were taken in Edmonton by Clara (thank you again!), as you maybe guessed by all the snow!  Did I mention that it was a balmy 12 degrees and beautifully sunny in Abbotsford today?  (For those of you who live in California/southern U.S.,/southern hemisphere this is something to brag about!)

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

mint nanaimo bars

It's your lucky day!  We decided we should make something festive for St. Patrick's Day...so here we present you with: mint nanaimo bars!  We thought adding a minty green twist to one of our favorite recipes would be the perfect St. Patty's Day treat.  And boy is it good!  Mint + chocolate is the bomb.

Now I've included the modified recipe for these minty bars, but check out the original post here for more basic tips and photos!

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer:

1/2 cup butter [very soft]

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

5 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with

3 tablespoon of water

2 cups graham wafer crumbs

Middle Layer:

4 tablespoons softened butter

3 tablespoons milk (or cream)

2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 tsp mint extract (add more to taste if you really like your mint!)

green food colouring (I used gel, and it worked like a charm!)

Top Layer:

1 cup chocolate chips [or 6 baking squares]

1 tablespoon shortening

Instructions:

Step 1

1.  Place melted butter, cocoa, vanilla, sugar, and flax seed mixture in a bowl.  Stir mixture until creamy.

2.  Mix wafer crumbs and coconut into the cocoa mixture.  

3. Pack into an 8x8 pan.  I usually line the pan with parchment paper, and when I am ready to cut the bars, I just lift it out, and place it on a cutting board.

4.  Refrigerate until the bottom is solid (about 30 mins).

Step 2

5.  In a seperate bowl, mix butter, milk, custard powder, icing sugar, and mint extract together.  Add a bit of green food colouring until desired colour is achieved.  

6.  Spread over bottom layer.

Step 3

7.  Melt chocolate chips and shortening together either in a saucepan or in the microwave; be careful not to burn! The shortening will ensure that the chocolate layer isn't too solid, so it wont crack when cutting.

8.  Spread chocolate evenly over middle layer.

9.  Refrigerate for approximately 5 mins.  

Step 4

10.  Once the chocolate has begun to harden, I like to score it with my knife.  This makes it easier to cut after it has totally hardened. 

11.  Place nanaimo bars back in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

12.  Once they have completely hardened, lift the parchment out of the pan onto a cutting board, and using a large knife, cut the nanaimo bars all the way.

13.  Enjoy!

I love the pop of colour on these babies...and they're sure to be a hit at any party!

These would make a wonderful dessert no matter the occasion, and are a nice change from our original version!

Enjoy!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

p.s. ♥ kelsey