Drunken Cranberries Recipe: The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Any time I can lace a dish with alcohol — especially for the holidays — well, sign me right on up. You're going to want to make a triple
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WELCOME, TO THE BLOG!
I'm Nikki, mom to twinlets & furbaby, firefighter wife, & seeker of silver linings. This is a behind-the-scenes look at my life-long obsessions of beauty {hairstylist}, fitness {former chubby child}, style {shopaholic} & everything in between. I hope you stay awhile and find something that inspires you!
Beachwaver FAQs: ALL the Answers (Plus How-to Videos!)
It still shocks me when someone says — with bewilderment in their eyes — it turns on its own!? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Yes, the Beachwaver does, in fact, turn on its own. And yes, I am that "lazy" that I, as a stylist...
Nikki
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@thenikkicagle
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PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CREAM PIE SHAKEOLOGY
Growing up, I was never a fan of bananas—not banana cream pie, banana foster or even {gasp} sliced bananas in my cereal. I've since come to realize that I am a very picky fruit eater in that they have to be the perfect ripeness. Bananas are the biggest culprit of not-ripe-enough or too-dang-ripe. You have your too-green bananas that are actually painful to eat and leave your mouth somehow stuck like peanut butter. And then you have your spotted and mushy 'nanners that don't b
PEANUT BUTTER JELLY {SHAKEOLOGY} TIME
After my first ShakeO bowl I was h o o k e d. Now I rarely sip a ShakeO from a glass - but rather spoon it from a bowl! And since I gobble most of my ShakeO bowls at lunch, I thought—duh, what says lunch like PB&J? Amirite?! A few trial & errors later {not enough grapey taste; not enough peanut taste; way to peanutty...}, I finally found the perfect blend. In pure bowl-O style, I loaded it up with ice to turn it into that creamy consistency that you'd dig into with a spoon, a
#BLIZZARD2016: SURVIVING JONAS
Oh sweet naive girl. When Jonas first started to trickle down I was as giddy as a 6-year-old. It was the first real snowfall of the year and I was counting all of the ways to spend it—hot cocoa loaded with 'mallows, a nonstop fire in the fireplace, too many calories to keep track of, a constant stream of wine, shoveling for hours {only so I could count it as a workout and throw snowballs at the hubby}, and so so much binging on Scandal. Thirty inches, 5 days, and 10 pounds la
SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND QUINOA BAKE
It doesn't get easier than pulled chicken in the crockpot and five ingredients {plus some seasonings} thrown into a casserole dish. It also doesn't get any more delicious than this mash-up of Mexican flavors. It's warm & cozy & packed with sneaky nutrition. And it'll officially be added to your list of go-to favs—trust me. First, throw some boneless, skinless, chicken breast in the crockpot. Or, lay it nicely side-by-side - depending on your mood. {Note: You'll want to coat y
COMFORT CROCKPOT FOOD: BALSAMIC "PANTRY" CHICKEN
If you're on the east coast right now, you are getting slammed with dreary, rain-soaking, want-to-stay-in-bed-all-day weather {Thanks, Joaquin}. But I have a reason for you to get out of bed—even if it's just for 10 minutes to throw together this warm, comforting, Crockpot Balsamic Chicken. And by "throw together," I really do mean, throw together - with any canned, jarred or frozen ingredients you have on hand. You know the saying "everything but the kitchen sink?" That tota
STRAWBERRY SHAKEOLOGY: ACAI BOWL STYLE
First it was chalky Slimfast shakes, then it was juice bars serving green grain in a cup with a straw...and then, then ShakeO came onto the scene and all was finally good with my tastebuds. But after nearly three months of shakin', blendin' & sippin', I was ::GASP:: getting bored. Then one day a friend took me to South Block Cafe where they make cold pressed juice {blech! Sorry, I just can not fathom drinking my veggies.} and acai bowls. What's an acai bowl? Actually, let's g
BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE SHAKEOLOGY
Here I go again, shaming Shakeology and turning one of my favorite desserts into a *nutritious* shake! Read it [the ingredients] and weep, ya'll. This ShakeO packs a serious nutrition-punch: oats, banana and spinach? Can you say fiber & protein packed? Oh, you can't? It's because your mouth is too full with this delectable dessert-like shake, isn't it? Knew it. You know the drill - throw all of these ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth: 1 packet Vanilla Shakeolo
CHOCOLATE COVERED BERRIES MILKSHAKE-O
Again, I feel like I'm totally abusing Shakeology. It's touted as this super healthy, nutrient p a c k e d shake, and I'm shaming it by turning it into some of my favorite delectable desserts. Or am I?? This take on chocolate covered strawberries {with an extra zingy punch of mixed berries—like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries} is just 300 calories {300 calories!!} and it tastes like I should be sneaking sips when my healthy alter-ego isn't looking. In
TROPICAL PARADISE "SWIRLY" SHAKEOLOGY
I know I'm usually on here touting about my love of nutrition, health & fitness, but the truth is... I have a very deceiving love affair with swirly drinks. Yes, swirly drinks. Ya know, the kind that oozes out of a machine that has been so nicely swirling your favorite flavor{s} into frozen concoctions? Yea, that's a swirly drink. I countdown to my very first PIDA of the season {Pain in de ass - for all of you Ocean City Seacrets virgins}, and literally melt at the first sip-
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE IT OFF: CREAMY VANILLA STRAWBERRY BANANA SHAKEOLOGY
I know I am SO late to this shake party, but I just never hopped on the Shakeology train, until now! 1.) Because I loathe the thought of drinking my meals. Meals were m a d e for crunching. If you don't know about my love of cereal - you don't know me, period. 2.) What's so fab about ShakeO that can't be achieved in a homemade smoothie of my own concoction?! And 3) I'm not one for trends... Who are we kidding. I l i v e for trends! Which is why I finally caved, jumped on the
SUMMER SHANDY LEMON OREO CUPCAKES
It's a hot Summer day, you hear a lawn mower in the distance, you smell a grill firing up, your mouth starts salivating, and all you can think is... B E E R. But not just any beer—a light, crisp, refreshing, citrus Summer beer. I remember the first time I tasted Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. My senses were tuned in to all of the above, I took a sip out of this brightly colored can, and suddenly - Summer was literally dancing in my mouth. It sounds gross—it's not—it's delicious
FANCY FINGER FOOD FOR A HEALTHY GIRL'S PARTY
When I was told that I wouldn't be involved in any aspect of my 30th birthday, my mind started racing... But, but, what about the decor?! The layout of the house?! The events of the evening?! THE FOOD?!?! One of my biggest, ahem, concerns, if you will, was the food. I am a picker—a mini cupcake, poppable appetizer, finger food kind of gal. On top of that, I like to snack on the healthier side. Talk about a challenge for late night party food! My party planners proclaimed a bi
PINK CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES FOR YOUR VALENTINE
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought I would share my super sweet {in taste & gesture} Pink Champagne Cupcake Recipe! And by "my", I mean, adapted by Sassy Mama in LA. {You may remember these pink-beauts when they made their appearance in my inaugural blog post} The shamps not only adds a moist-meets-fluff factor from the bubbly, but using pink shamps brings just a tinge of extra of sweetness. This may sound odd...but I can almost TASTE the pink. And do you
DEEMED "THE BEST CHILI ON EARTH"
Let me preface this post with a big fat two-part disclaimer:
1.) I am N O T a chef, cook or nutritionist. I credit my food-making abilities to Pinterest, my Kitchen Aid mixer, and creativity. Sometimes I get a resounding, "mmmmhmm-can't-speak-too-busy-making-mmmhmmm-sounds", and sometimes I get the infamous, "you know what would be great on this? Old Bay." {aka, I need to drown this "unique-flavor" with the almighty potent spice of the eastern shore} Ya win some, ya Old Bay
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