Bahamian Bliss

I've been back about a week now from a week-long trip to the Bahamas (Nassau) with my boyfriend, where I indulged in conch fritters, multiple strawberry daiquiris, and tons of much needed relaxation.  We went down for his cousin's wedding, which was set along the sandy beaches and provided such a lovely, intimate setting.

The weather was perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

A walk along the water on a private island.

Conch was the food of choice on this island in the sun.

The stingray was mere inches from our feet!

Gorgeous pier off our resort.

Does it get any more perfect than this?

My man playing photographer at the wedding we attended.

Sailing in the sun.

Winter Essentials

Winter is in full swing, and my skin is definitely feeling it.  These favorites never go below half full before I purchase more this time of year.

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm $3   
Burt's Bees Almond Hand Creme $9
Eucerin Plus Smoothing Essentials $11.49   
L'Occitane Organic Pure Shea Butter $39

You + Me = Love

Valentine's Day is here yet again.  While I don't particularly love or look forward to this Hallmark holiday each year, it is a good reminder that we all have people we love in our lives and that we should always cherish and appreciate them in the time we are given. 

Chocolate Raspberry Liqueur Truffles

I found this recipe from the lovely Barefoot Contessa.  After watching her cook for hours and hours on end, I decided to actually try one of the recipes myself.  With the holidays just past, I decided to finish off the winter season with these little delights.  I was a little nervous at first, as I’ve never made truffles before, but they turned out quite nice – with the perfect creamy consistency you’d expect.

White Chocolate Truffles

2 tablespoons heavy cream
7 ounces good white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (but I put in Raspberry Liqueur instead, yum!)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

With 2 teaspoons, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

Drizzle the melted bittersweet chocolate over 10 of the truffles. Roll the remaining truffles in the chopped nuts. Chill until ready to serve.

Simple pleasure

There is something about the feeling of just getting a manicure.  Your hands are soft, your cuticles are not out of control, your nails are properly filed, and there's a fun pop of color on your fingers. 

I'm that girl who can't paint her own nails, they simply turn out horrible.  However, for that soft, just-got-a-manicure feeling, I love this BeautiControl Manicure Set.

Simple to use, and relatively cheap, it's the best out there to make you feel like you just visited the spa.

Welcome

You found my blog! Hello and welcome. But I'm sure you're now wondering, where am I and what's going on here? At the moment - not too much, but give it time and this blog will be swimming with daily discoveries, DIY tips, exciting events, interesting places, and great places to travel as told through my eyes.

xo
Rachel