January 2017 - The Southern Magnolia

White Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

January 27, 2017 No Comments

White Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

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With Valentine’s Day only a couple of weeks a way, it has me craving all things chocolate. My husband recently went on a trip out of town and requested that I make him a few treats to snack on while he was gone. We both have a huge obsession with Justins Nut Butters but my husbands favorite is the hazelnut butter. Searching through the pantry, I still had tons of ingredients left over from all of my Christmas baking and decided to combine the Justins Hazelnut butter with white chocolate to make some candies. The result is a delectable treat that makes it hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions of eating healthy. Below I will share how I made these white chocolate hazelnut candies.

I previously shared my recipe for almond butter cups here that you may want to check out as well. To make these candies you will need Justins Hazelnut butter, white chocolate morsels, coconut oil, and a candy mold.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

Start by melting 1/2 cup of white chocolate morsels with 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. I typically start by heating the chocolate for 20 seconds at a time and stir before heating for another 20 seconds to avoid overcooking the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely melted, spoon a small amount of the melted white chocolate into the candy molds. Spoon just enough to coat the bottom of the mold. After you finish coating the bottom of the molds with the white chocolate, place the molds in the freezer for about 5 minutes so that the chocolate has time to harden.

White chocolate hazelnut candies

Once the chocolate has hardened, remove the molds from the freezer and prepare to add the filling to our candies. Scoop 3 tbsp. of Justins Hazelnut Butter into a microwave safe bowl with 1/2tbsp of coconut oil. Heat for 20 seconds and stir. Repeat until hazelnut butter is completely melted. Scoop a small amount of the Hazelnut butter into each of the molds, completely covering the white chocolate base layer. Leave about 1/3 of each mold empty so that you can put one more layer of white chocolate on top. Once the hazelnut butter has been added to each mold, place the molds into the freezer for another 5 minutes to harden.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

After the second layer has hardened, remove the candies from the freezer so that we can add the last layer. If you do not have enough melted white chocolate left over to cover each of the candies or if the chocolate has hardened back up simply add more white chocolate morsels and melt the chocolate in the microwave. Spoon enough white chocolate into each of the molds to reach the top of each mold. Once each mold is completely full, place the candies back into the freezer for another 5 minutes or until the white chocolate hazelnut candies have completely hardened.

Once the candies were completely hardened, I was able to easily remove them from the molds by gently pressing on the bottom of each mold. Your white chocolate hazelnut candies are now ready to be enjoyed. I have to warn you that it is hard not to consume all of the candies in one sitting. They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Let me know what your thoughts are if you give them a try.

White Chocolate Hazelnut Candies

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Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day

January 24, 2017 No Comments

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I know there are lots of people who dread Valentine’s Day but I have never been one of those people. I mean, come on, a holiday that encourages the consumption of chocolate and all things sweet, how could you not love that. It seems that the price of chocolate and candy seems to soar around the holidays. If you are not fortunate to have a special someone in your life to buy that expensive chocolate/candy for you this year or if you are responsible for buying the candy for your little ones to give to their friends and classmates , I am here to let you in on a little secret. The Dollar Tree has tons of Valentines chocolate, candy, and decorations, and you guessed it, for only one dollar a piece. This allows you to stock up on all of your Valentine’s Day needs for a fraction of the cost, leaving you plenty of money to snag a few sweets for yourself.

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

Today I will be sharing 3 of my favorite Dollar Tree candies and how I use them to create some delicious treats for whatever Valentine’s Day festivities you may be attending.

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

I purchased the Palmer Cookies & Crème Hearts, Peanut Butter Hearts and the Milk Chocolate Luscious Lips. Growing up my Grandmother always stocked us up on Palmer’s brand chocolates around the holidays so I have been a long time fan. The chocolates are absolutely delicious and the Valentine’s Day inspired shapes make them even more fun.

I decided to add my chocolates to another one of my favorite desserts, cookies. I used both plain sugar cookies and chocolate peanut butter cup cookies. I simply prepared my cookies per the instruction from the package and after removing them from the oven I promptly placed my chocolates on top of the cookies before they had a chance to cool. This allows the chocolate to melt to the cookie so that it stays attached. I put the peanut butter hearts on top of the chocolate peanut butter cup cookies and the milk chocolate luscious lip chocolates on top of the sugar cookies. Make sure to allow the cookies to fully cool after adding the candies on top so that the candy has time to harden back up. Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

Now if you are planning on distributing these goodies to others instead of eating them all by yourself, Dollar Tree has several different options you could use to package your treats. I purchased the valentines treat bags with twist ties (25 treat bags come in one pack for only $1) but they also have boxes that would work well too.

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

What sweet treats will you be fixing for Valentine’s Day?

Ship It To Your Local Dollar Tree Store For FREE*!

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Fashion

In a World Where You Can Be Anything Be Kind

January 20, 2017 No Comments

In a World Where You Can Be Anything Be Kind

“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” -Bob Kerry

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links)

If there is one thing this world could use more of it would definitely be kindness. It seems that true genuine kindness is far and few between these days. In a world where hate seems to be so prevalent, kindness is necessary. Being kind is something that I strive to personify in my everyday life. It’s not just being kind to those that are kind to you but I think even more so to those that aren’t. I think showing kindness to those that lack it can have a profound impact. Their lack of kindness says more about them than you, but your reaction to their lack of kindness is very telling of the type of person you are. It’s not always easy but it’s important to make a conscience effort to be kind in whatever situation we are dealt.

In a World Where You Can Be Anything Be Kind

“Be the person that makes others feel special. Be known for your kindness and grace.”

I love a graphic tee as much as the next girl but I love them even more when they contain an inspirational or positive message. Cents of Style’s Inspirational graphic tees are right up my alley. They are filled with positive messages that we could all use as a reminder in our everyday life. You can find the collection here. It was hard to decide on just one (lets be honest, I will probably order several more). For me, the Be Kind graphic tee resonated the most. Coming off a presidential election year that was more charged and filled with more hate than I have ever seen in my lifetime to living in a time where cyber bullying has become rampant I think we could all use a reminder to be kind.

Grab you favorite inspirational graphic tee for 50% and free shipping with code INSPIRE17. Shop them here. Sale ends 1/22/17.

Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24

Food

Turmeric Seasoned Steak

January 17, 2017 No Comments

Turmeric Seasoned Steak

I have to give my husband the credit for this recipe. He absolutely loves my turmeric spiced tilapia recipe and requested that I come up with a turmeric seasoning for a steak. We don’t eat a lot of red meat so when we do its a treat. On this particular night I chose to use a flat iron steak but you could use whichever cut you prefer. Below I will explain how I made this turmeric seasoned steak.

Turmeric Seasoned Steak

I like to marinate my steaks for at least 4 hours if not a little longer so that the steak can really soak up all the flavor. So if you are planning to make this recipe make sure you plan ahead to that you can leave enough time for the steak to marinate. To create the seasoning add 1 tbsp. turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp. paprika, 3 tbsp. olive oil, and 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice to a bowl and thoroughly mix the ingredients. Place the steak in a gallon bag and pour the turmeric mixture over the steak. Make sure the completely cover the steak in the spice mixture. Remove all the air from the Ziploc bag and place the steak into the fridge for at least four hours.

After the steak is done marinating it is time to cook it. We chose to grill our steak but you can also cook the steak in the oven if you prefer. My husband is excellent on the grill so I let him take over and cook the steaks while I prepared the side of squash and zucchini. We both prefer our steaks more on the medium side instead of well-done and these were cooked just perfect. Overall I’d say that the turmeric seasoned steak was a success as we finished off the entire thing!

Turmeric Seasoned Steak

Ingredients

1 flat iron steak
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp. paprika
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Combine 1 tbsp. turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp. paprika, 3 tbsp. olive oil, and 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice to a bowl and thoroughly mix the ingredients.
Place the steak in a gallon bag and pour the turmeric mixture over the steak.
Make sure the completely cover the steak in the spice mixture.
Remove all the air from the Ziploc bag and place the steak into the fridge for at least four hours.
After steak is marinated, cook on grill or cook in oven.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/turmeric-seasoned-steak/

Turmeric Seasoned STeak

Food

Low Carb Spaghetti

January 11, 2017 No Comments

Low Carb Spaghetti

We rarely eat any type of Italian dish in our household. Most Italian dishes tend to be loaded with carbs. They are either comprised of some type of pasta, a creamy sauce or loaded with cheese so we just tend to avoid them. Every once in a while I will get a craving for some type of Italian dish whether that be a pasta type dish or pizza and when this happens I try to create a healthier version for us to enjoy. I’m all about finding ways to recreate my favorite dishes to make them healthy but still tasty. As I was doing my grocery shopping this past week I passed the spaghetti squash and got a sudden craving for spaghetti. I quickly snatched up a medium sized spaghetti squashed and headed over to the ground beef. I grabbed a pound of the leanest ground beef I could find, 96% fat free. Next was to try to find a spaghetti sauce that wasn’t loaded with sodium, fat, and carbs. After about ten minutes of reading the nutrition labels on all of the pasta sauce jars I stumbled upon Patsy’s tomato basil sauce. It was by far the healthiest option on the shelf, lower in fat, carbs, and sodium. With all of the healthy and delicious ingredients needed for my low carb spaghetti in my cart, I headed to the checkout. Below I will share how easy it is to recreate a healthier but still delicious version of the traditional spaghetti.

Begin by cutting the spaghetti squash in half length wise. I always have trouble cutting larger squash, as they tend to be tough, so I will usually pop the squash into the microwave for just a couple of minutes to help soften it up and make it easier to cut. Once you squash is cut in half, drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well. Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes (time may vary slightly depending on the s Low Carb Spaghetti ize of your squash).

While the spaghetti squash is cooking we will begin cooking the ground beef (you could also use a lean ground turkey as well). Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.

Low Carb Spaghetti

Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.

Low Carb Spaghetti

After the spaghetti squash is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or “noodles”. Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your “noodles” and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and you can enjoy your spaghetti without the guilt that comes with all those carbs.

Low Carb Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
pasta sauce
1 lb lean ground beaf
black pepper for seasoning
drizzle of olive oil
parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise.
Drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well.
Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven for about 40 minutes
While the spaghetti squash is cooking, begin cooking the ground beef. Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.
Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.
Remove the cooked spaghetti squash from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or "noodles".
Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your "noodles" and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/low-carb-spaghetti/

If you like this low carb spaghetti recipe, make sure to check out my spaghetti squash, turkey and asparagus recipe here. What are some of your favorite ways to cook with spaghetti squash?

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Setting Goals for the New Year

January 9, 2017 No Comments

Setting Goals for the New Year

I’ve never been big on New Year’s Resolutions. Mostly because so many people make resolutions at the beginning of the year only to break those resolutions in a few weeks or sometimes months. I am, however, a big proponent of setting goals. I always feel like having a goal to work towards forces me to work harder and gives me the motivation to do so. Knowing what my end goal is helps me to determine what steps I need to take in order to get there. I will be sharing a few of my goals for 2017 as a way to hold me accountable (if its written for all of you to read then I have to follow through, right?).

One of my goals is to grow this blog. I have only been blogging for a few months and not always so consistently (evident by the fact that I’m getting my New Year’s post up on January 9th), so that is definitely one of the things I want to work on in order to help grow my readership. I want to improve upon both my content and photography as I feel that is hugely important when trying to grow a blog. I also need to start focusing on my social media presence (Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest) as it plays such a big role in driving traffic to the blog. Sometimes it seems like there is an endless amount of learning when it comes to blogging. I researched tons of tips on starting a blog prior to writing my first post and still continue to research different aspects of blogging so that I can incorporate it into my blog to try to improve it. While it sounds like a lot of work, I truly do enjoy creating different content to share.
My second goal for 2017 is to unplug more. I feel like today it has almost become the norm to be glued to our cell phones. Between all the different forms of social media to having access to internet at all times, its almost hard not to get sucked in. I know I’m guilty of looking at social media and before I know it I have wasted 15-20 minutes. I also tend to get distracted when I am trying to get things on my to-do list done but instead get caught up on checking emails or something else on my phone. I want to be more intentional about spending that time that I typically waste on social media/internet doing things that don’t involve my phone or computer. I also think its incredibly important to be present in our everyday lives and by spending time with our loved ones instead of having our faces glued to our phones.
Thirdly, I want to try to stress less. About 7 months out of the year, my husband and I spend more time on the road and out of town then we do at home. Between all the traveling and trying to run my handmade jewelry business and now writing a blog, I sometimes get overwhelmed and feel that I don’t have time for everything. I want to try not to get stressed out if I’m not able to get a blog post up as often as I would like, or if I’m not able to get some of the things accomplished for my jewelry business that I would like. At the end of the day, it isn’t that big of a deal and I can always get it accomplished on another day.
Another goal I have for 2017 is being more consistent with my quiet times. I go through phases where I will stick with my quiet time on a daily basis for a while then I let our ever changing schedule throw me off and it takes me a while to get back on track. I want to start making my quiet time a priority and sticking to it. I feel I am a much better wife and over all person when I spend time daily reading the Bible. Do you have any bible studies that you would recommend? I would love to hear your suggestions.
My last goal for 2017 is to grow my jewelry business, Immeasurably More. I launched my jewelry website in June of 2015 and really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I have continued to research and try to implement everything I have learned into my business but still have more to learn. I want to invest more time and effort into growing my sales as well as my social media channels.

What are some of the goals you have set for yourself for 2017? I think it is neat to look back on my goals throughout the year to see what progress I have made and what I still need to work on.