"Compound" Updates and Cast List?

Smooches all!!!!!!!!

I'm so sorry but I found out that I can't post the story in it's entirety somewhere else.  I actually might have to delete what I've already posted here.  If you want to continue reading it (there are now 23 chapters), you're going to have to use Wattpad.  Sorry.  Once I actually read and paid attention to what I was reading in the rules, I realized I was messing up.

If you are reading on Wattpad, thank you so much.  It's because of you that it is so high up in the rankings.  Like...I'm amazed at how well it's doing seeing as though there are millions of works on the site and my book stays in the two and three hundred rankings.  

If you aren't reading there, I sure wish you would.  

Please remember that the rankings are determined by reader engagement so, if you like it, please vote, comment, and add to your reading list so you get updates immediately.

Special thanks to onefromphilly!  She knows why!  LOL!

Oh...and here is the "cast list."  That's a pretty cool feature on Wattpad that I am truly enjoying so far.

Mini Cheesecakes

I love cheesecake even though I have to prepare myself to eat it.  Dairy and I started beefing a while ago but I pick my battles meaning I'll choose to go a round with it for certain things.  

Cheesecake is one of those things.

I wanted to make mini cheesecakes for a dinner party so I could make them pretty and not have to worry about cutting it at the table.  Yall know I like my presentation to be purty so yeah...there's that too.

The cheesecake is a basic recipe but when I make it to do individual portions, I don't do it in an actual cheesecake pan.  I use glass baking dishes.  Truth be told, the only reason I do it this way is once I couldn't find the bottom to my cheesecake pan but wanted cheesecake so I made it in glass and it was just fine so um...I kept making it in glass.  LOL!

Crust:

1/3 cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I use gluten-free ones.)

Mix together in a bowl and them dump into 8 x 8 pan.  Using a piece of parchment paper on top, press smooth and even.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely.  

Cheesecake filling:

2 packages of cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons flour (heaping spoons if using a pre-mixed gluten-free flour)

Whip together cream cheese and sugar until blended.  Don't overwhip.  Remember...cheesecake doesn't like bubbles.  Add eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.  Blend.  Add flour and blend until you don't see flour.

Pour over crust shaking well.  Take a big bath towel and fold it larger than the dish and drop the pan on it a few times to try and force out all air bubbles.  (I do this because I use glass dishes.  Be careful if you do too!)  Put dish inside of large 9 x 13 pan.  Pour boiling water inside larger pan until it reaches the mid-point of the pan the cheesecake is in.  This is a water bath.  You do this so the cheesecake won't crack.  It helps it cook slower and evener.  (Is that a word?  Hmmmmmmm...) Anyway...every.single.time I've made a cheesecake without a water bath it cracked.  I mean...you could still eat it, of course, but it wasn't cute to look at.  LOL!

Bake for 50 minutes and remove from oven. (Pay attention to it.  If it doesn't look done it's probably not done.  Usually it looks "sinky" in the middle.  If it's done...won't be any "sinky" spots.  Yall know what I mean right?  LOL!

Once it reaches room temp...put in fridge.  Let it COMPLETELY COOL!

When it is COMPLETELY COLD...using a biscuit cutter, cut out 3-inch circles as individual servings.  GO YOU!  You'll get four good ones outta this.  Save the pieces for your husband to devour later.  Don't eat it yourself so you don't get farty.  I mean...you know...if dairy gets you farty.

For a sauce, be creative with it.  I do two different ones.  Sometimes I do 1.5 cups of raspberries and sometimes I use a cup of raspberries and a half cup of blueberries.  Bring to boil in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.  The raspberries will melt but the blueberries will remain solid.  You can use fresh or frozen.  Put in a jar and put in fridge to cool with cheesecake.  Be funky with it when you drizzle.  Watch your elbow too.  Why do I say this you ask?  Cuz someone might tip your elbow making you PLOP sauce on top of them instead of delicately drizzling.  You know...cuz people like sauce and believe the more sauce the mo'betta-er.  LOL!

This is a basic cheesecake recipe.  If you don't want to use the biscuit cutter to make mini cheesecakes, you can get a solid 9 squares outta this and folks will be fighting for the corner squares same as they do with brownies.  LOL!

Do YOU ever make cheesecake?

Quick. Juicy. Pork Chops.

Of the things we should never be forced to do...eating dry pork chops should be one of them.  There is simply no reason for it as making them quick, tasty and juicy is super easy to do.

Turn the oven on 400 degrees and put a cast iron skillet in.  If you don't have a cast iron skillet...side eye the mess outta yourself, order one from Amazon and try this in two days after your Prime shipment shows up.  Cast Iron 15" skillet:  http://amzn.to/1PaT76C 

Rinse and pat dry pork chops.  Rub olive oil on both sides and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Once the oven has pre-heated, remove skillet and put on stovetop at medium-high.  Place pork chops in and sear.  (Will get smoky so yeah...use the vent thingy.)

Sear for three minutes and then, USING TONGS, turn over.  Put skillet in oven for ten minutes.

VIOLA.  INSTA-DELISH!  

GO YOU!  You rock so solid...it would take lava to melt you.  

Essie Gel Setter Review (Don't die Bethie!)

Can we talk manicures for a second?  I mean...I know there is a lot of really important things going on in the world but I'd really like to talk manis right now.  Namely...MY manicure.

I'm not a gel set chick.  They scare me.  They scare important doctor people too so there's that.  But I will admit that gel manicures look gorg-e-mous!  

But I don't want another battle with cancer.  No way...no how.  It's funny how most of the things in my life center around not wanting to get cancer again.  LOL!  (Don't die Bethie!)  

I bought this product, Essie Gel Setter, when I first saw it.  The majority of my nail polish is Essie so I tend to look around there often.  I bought this when it was first released and I've been testing it ever since.  

Normally my manicures last about a 4 days with a normal Essie top coat.  I'm on day 6 of this manicure and I'm over the moon with the results.

AND I WON'T GET POTENTIALLY GET CANCER!  

My manicure has a high gloss with that professional look which probably came from the fact that I rub the edges with tipped cotton applicators dipped in nail polish remover.  

The colors I used for this manicure (I put polka dots on my ring finger...GO ME!) were Marshmellow, Muchi, Muchi and Watermelon. 

I think it's going to last a minute and I'm excited about it!  I'm not crazy about going to get manicures.  I'll go get a pedicure but never a manicure it seems so I'm so excited I found this product so my manicures last longer and look for real professional!  GO ME!

What top coat do YOU use?  Do you get gel manicures?  Do they concern you?

Beauty and Fashion Randoms of an Over 40 Blogger

I needed something to wear to an event and got excited.  See...I'm not fashion or beauty obsessed although I tend to keep up with what is necessary for me to know in both departments.  I tend to buck trends and pretty much wear exactly what I want to wear.  The good thing about being over 40, is that I can pretty much get whatever I want to get.  You know...if I want it.

The older I get, the more I'm into comfortable shoes.  I own lovely heels, of course, but they are never my first choice anymore and I tend to plan an outfit around the shoes I want to wear.  I'll never get too old for a funky pair of Chucks and I will never pass up the opportunity to buy something others might consider outrageous if it makes me smile.  LOL!

I just recently bought some leather and glitter sneakers that make me smile.   People look down at them in surprise and then back up to my face quickly.  LOL!  I SEE YOU!!!!!!!!

I'm not into homely clothes and love to rock figure flattering pieces that aren't hoochie.  I don't like too tight pants so all my skinny pants have a good amount of "GIVE" in the material.  I have a crazy knack for picking out a funky and fun top and I have a wall filled with funky tops that I pair with jeans, shorts, sandals, ballet flats and sneakers.

I think I have skinny legs so I don't wear shorty shorts but I do wear fitted shorts if that makes sense.  (Odd I know.)  I still stick to the principle that if you only BUY things that look cute on you, you will only OWN things that look cute on you.  I don't like matchy matchy and I adore mixing super cheap pieces with pricey pieces.  My normal every day shorts are cargo shorts from the boy's department cuz you can't find cargo shorts for women with a good length for women anymore it seems.

My day-to-day wear would probably be considered tomboy chic or sporty luxe and, even though I feel I could wear some of the latest trends the younger people wear...I don't. And I don't consider jeans, t-shirts and Chucks to be young people clothes.  These things are ageless.  LOL!  And yes...I will probably be 80 rocking some fly glasses and some fresh to death glitter Chucks.

I pay attention to my "More" magazine and I check out the new stuff regarding makeup etc.  I'm not really there yet regarding makeup and am just now starting to play with different stuff when I do wear makeup which is still...HARDLY EVER.  In lieu of makeup...I will rock a pair of hot sunglasses or a hat.  LOL!  And my lips stay fresh with some good old Aquaphor which I pretty much use all over.

The only thing I have really started focusing on as I age is exposure to the sun.  Especially on my face and neck.  I'm not trying to hide from the sun but I also don't want to have to get to the point where I HAVE to wear makeup in order to have good looking skin and I have been known to have odd breakouts when in the sun at random times.  UGH.

I don't like my hair these days as the grey is something I guess I'll have to take action on eventually because it's getting more and more grey and, insultingly, all around my hairline waving and ish.  I can't find a stylist that I love locally so weekly appointments to make my life lovelier is out of the question and the drive to the one who makes it look right is too far for weekly maintenance.  

My dentist keeps asking if I want to whiten my teeth and I keep telling them that I think it's creepy when folks' teeth are whiter than their eyes and that I would spook myself in the middle of the night during a bathroom run in the dark.

I still do my level of workouts which maintain what I'm working with and well...I'm unwilling to do much more if I don't have to.  I don't want to be the fittest looking girl in the room...I just want a flat tummy and a nice butt.  I was working out with a guy who was really kinda harsh with it and well...I thought it best if I didn't continue going over there.  You know...getting yelled at and whatnot.  I have to figure out something, however, because for the past two days it has been too hot during my normal 30 minute morning walk and sprint session to get a good workout in without saying...um...no.  Too hot.  I hate germy gyms but I'm going to have to do something and have access to a treadmill soon cuz this heat is going to kill me and the way my heart murmur is set up...

When I'm looking to wear something special, I tend to visit a few of my favorite beauty and fashion blogs for and by women of a certain age.  See...they get me cuz they ARE me.  They are fly but no longer 20 and each one of my FAVES has the type of style that shows they know THEIR style THEIR way.  They aren't trying too hard to be sexy and they generally have smiles that reach their eyes which makes me smile.  I know...clearly I have simple criteria but it's so true.

Extra Petite - She's the youngest on this list.  I like her style though.  She does tomboy to girly girl right.

Style Pantry - This should be a DUH as she is probably on all of our lists.  I mean...she is like the Diana Ross of fashion to me.

Lady of Style - I get a lot of good ideas from her on how to mix up things I already own.

Erica B. - Another DUH...I mean hey...it's our girl.

J'Adore Couture - I get diva brunch outfit ideas from her.  

Fortyfied Beauty - She doesn't just stick to clothes and I like that.  She's pretty simple too.  Enjoying cute comfort.

Style of a London Tall Girl - Tall girls have problems other girls don't.  She owns her tall girl style. 

Forever Amber - Super cutesy clothes.  Ideas for weddings, nice parties, etc.

The Coveteur - I just look over here.  LOL!  I can't afford NOTHING June Ambrose deems rock worthy but I love pretty pictures of pretty clothes.  Oh...and her blog is more about lifestyle too.  She has a great cocktail series going on over there.

What about you?  Where do you get your inspiration from when you're looking for something special to wear?  Who are your goto fashion and beauty bloggers?  Do you generally like fashion blogs by women of a certain age too?  How would you describe your style?  

Is fashion a THING for you?  Or do you just like to look nice?