OPI Are We There Yet?

OPI Are We There Yet? is a perfect coral color for summer! This polish has these tiny hints of golden pink flecks in it that give it a beautiful depth. I used two coats for the photos below, but I probably should have used three coats. I was painting my nails in a semi-lit room, so I thought the polish was more opaque than it really was in the light. Haha

What do you think of Are We There Yet? Thanks for reading! 

Taco Bean Dip

I've got another dip recipe for you today. I have been obsessed with dip recipes lately, mainly because if I can dip a chip in my food, then I will. :)

My friend Amanda made this Taco Bean Dip for this past New Year's Eve party at her house, and I loved it so much that I've been wanting to make it ever since.

Here's the recipe she sent me:

This is what I used:

You can see that I used 12 oz. of plain Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, because any time I can substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise or sour cream, I like to because it has less calories and has more protein. I also like the way Greek yogurt tastes 'lighter' than mayonnaise and sour cream.

I absolutely loved this dip! The hardest part was just mixing the taco seasoning with the Greek yogurt, and that didn't take up much time. So there was a layer of re-fried beans, a layer of the Greek yogurt/taco seasoning mixture, and I used the whole package of shredded cheese on top of the yogurt. I then diced tomatoes and jalapenos for extra color and taste. 

The combination of taco flavor with the beans and the coolness of the yogurt was delicious. Add cheese on top of that, and you have a winner! I will definitely make this one again!

Fresh Homemade Guacamole

I have recently in the past couple of years found out that I love avocados. I especially love them in homemade guacamole. The combination of avocados, limes, and peppers just tastes so fresh.

Here's a recipe for homemade guacamole I made this week:

3 avocados, peeled, removed from the seed and diced
The juice from 2 limes
1 vine tomato, seeds removed and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Seasoning/Salt
Cilantro

I mixed everything in a bowl and added the salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning to taste. I like a lot of it. I didn't have any fresh cilantro, but I did have dried cilantro flakes that I used instead. Fresh cilantro would, of course, taste better. I mashed the avocados and mixed and mixed until I liked the consistency.

The creaminess if the avocado paired with the sourness of the limes and the little kick from the jalapeños makes this one of my favorite dips and I crave it about once a month. The red tomato adds just the right pop of color.

Here is how it turned out. Thanks for reading!

Super Cheesy Bean Dip

     A couple of weeks ago I put together a cheesy bean dip that I thought I would share with you today! I was really craving some cheese and beans, so here is how I made it.

     I turned my slow cooker on low, and added a block of cream cheese, a can of chili beans, and a jar of the Tostitos Bean & Cheese Dip, and let that cook on low for two hours, stirring intermittently. After two hours, I added two packages of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese blocks, stirred them in the mixture, and then let it cook for another two hours.
     After four hours total, it was wonderful! It was so cheesy, and if you are a bean lover, you will love this. My parents and I ate this dip all weekend.

   

Sally Hansen Sugar Coat Sour Apple

     Today I have a really cool polish to show you! This is another one of those texture polishes that are so on trend right now. I am really loving the texture polish. Why? Because you don't have to worry about painting on a top coat, and they tend to last a lot longer than regular polish.
     This polish is Sour Apple from the Sally Hansen Sugar Coat line that just released. It is a minty apple green polish. I used two coats in the photos below.
     I loved the look of this polish. This is one of my favorite colors, and I really enjoyed the different look that the polish gave my nails. I will say that of all of the texture polishes I have tried, this one chipped sooner. I painted my nails on a Thursday night, and I had my first chip on probably Sunday morning.
     This polish was also somewhat different than other texture polish because it came out of the bottle with a gritty texture, like it had sand particles in it. Other texture polishes I have used, like OPI and Zoya, have been smooth on the nail when first painted on, and then you wait to see the texture show up. I thought that was interesting.
     What do you think about the texture trend? Do you like the way Sour Apple looks?

China Glaze Itty, Bitty & Gritty

     I can't express how much I am loving this texture nail polish trend right now! Not only is the texture really cool-looking, but the texture polish lasts a whole lot longer on me than regular nail polish with a top coat. My job requires me to work with my hands all day, so a nail polish that lasts longer and doesn't need a top coat is definitely a plus for me. 

      My first texture polish to show you is China Glaze Itty, Bitty & Gritty. It's a bright watermelon shade that is lovely in the summer because it makes you look more tan than you really are. Right now I am vampire-white but this polish makes my hands look like I am ready for the beach. 

     Shown below are two coats of Itty, Bitty & Gritty, and the longer the polish sits, the more texture shows up.

     I absolutely, positively love this shade, and I am so glad I got it! What do you think about Itty, Bitty & Gritty?

     I purchased this polish at Sally's Beauty Supply.