Pretzel, Rolo, Pecan Bites

I have found a new love! The other day, one of my co-worker shared a snack his wife packed in his lunch. A pretzel, topped with a rolo and toasted pecan. It was so good that when I got off of work that night, the first thing I did was hunt down the recipe. The recipe I followed was from this blog, with a couple of minor changes: http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/2011/09/pretzel-rolo-turtles.html.

As you might expect from the title, the ingredients are pretty simple:

• Miniature pretzels
• Unwrapped rolos
• Toasted pecans

The quantity of each is dependent on how many or how much you would like to make. Just keep in mind that each bag of Rolo contains about 56 Rolos. I was making this for a family picnic, so I made a total of 72 bites. 

I think the one thing that really made these bites unbelievable are the toasted pecans. The flavor of the pecans is much more vibrant simply by placing them in the oven for a few minutes! My tip is to prepare everything before you even start toasting the pecans. Meaning, lay out your pretzels, unwrap your Rolos and place one on each pretzel. I thought I could do all that as the pecans were toasting, but the 8 minutes went by so fast and before I knew it, they were done and I was still unwrapping the Rolos!

Toast pecans for about 8 minutes

Pretzels all laid out

Rolos unwrapped!

One Rolo per pretzel, bake for 5 minutes

Toasted pecan placed on each soften Rolo

Ready to eat!

This recipe is so simple and quick to make! It is sure to please even the most picky eater as well as hit your salty/sweet spot perfectly!

Hope you guys enjoy!

~Hong

Ingredients:

• Mini pretzels
• Unwrapped rolos
• Pecan Halves

-Preheat oven to 350 F.

-Place the pecans on baking sheet covered with parchment paper and toast pecans for 8 minutes. Remove pecans from oven.

-While the pecans are toasting, arrange pretzels on another baking sheet.

-Place one Rolo on each pretzel and bake for about 5 minutes till the Rolos are soft, but not too melted.

-Remove from the oven and place one toasted pecan on top of each Rolo and gently press down till it is embedded into the Rolo.

-Allow to cool completely before storing.

Whimsical

I remember as a little girl, it was such a treat when my mom painted my nails. Sometimes she would even let me paint her nails! As I grew older, I went years and I mean YEARS without painting my nails, partially because of my job but also because I wasn't that interested in them. It wasn't until my husband entered his second deployment that I was bored enough to decide to paint my nails. Although I do enjoy nail polishes now, I still don't paint them that often. However, as I strolled through Ulta the other day, I found myself looking at nail polishes and Revlon's nail enamel in Whimsical caught my eye.

It may be hard to see in the picture, but the base color is a very light opaque blue. Although it is opaque, I thought two coats gave my nails nice, pretty coverage. This is actually my first experience with glitter in a nail polish or glitter all together, but I must admit that I liked it. What I love about this polish is that the glitter is not overwhelming, it has a very subtle affect. Your nail is not completely covered with glitter, but the glitter is scattered across your nail and  the beauty of the opaque blue can still be seen.

I started off with Rimmel's Base/Top coat Pro and ended with the Seche Vite's top coat.

Although the Rimmel brand is both a base and top coat, I only used it as a base coat because I think it makes the polish look dull and it lacks a shine that I like in a top coat. What I do love about the Rimmel's Base/Top coat Pro along with their nail polishes is the brush. It is wide and flat, which allows for better control and a more even application.

The Seche Vite top coat is probably the best top coat I've ever used! Not only is the finish shiny, it helps the polish dry faster and protects it from chipping prematurely. I've noticed that when I use Seche Vite as a top coat, my polish last a good 7-10 days or until I grow tired of it!

I've worn Whimsical now for a few days and have had many compliments! Definitely a new favorite find for me for now!

~Hong

Bringing Bandit Home

When we lost Bandit, we decided to have him privately cremated so that we could bring him back home. We haven't quite decided whether we will spread his ashes are keep him. So for now, he is resting on the shelf in our living room. It's crazy to imagine our beautiful 105 pounds baby is now in a tiny box that weighs maybe 8 pounds. I honestly didn't really know what to expect, but it was done quite beautifully as you can see below. Also, a portion of the cremation cost was donated towards scholarships for students of the University of Washington's  Veterinarian School. I haven't quite found the courage to actually take a good look at it or to read the notes included inside, but I'm sure one day I will.

Our veterinarian office also gave us a free clay paw print of Bandit with his name stamped across the top. They left it soft so that we can place a frame hook on it, paint it the color of our choice, and make small manipulations. The paw print was what really brought tears to my eyes and pictures of him laying on the blankets as we walked away after we laid him to rest started flashing through my mind.

I keep thinking as each day goes by, it will hurt less, it will get better. Honestly, it has not. My heart still hurts, my eyes still tear up whenever I think or talk about him, and I miss him dearly. There are moments when I forget that he is no longer here and I become overwhelmed with emotions when reality hits. Although the time we had with him was absolutely wonderful, I don't know if I could go through this again. I know death is a part of life, but this has been heartbreaking. Especially, when faced with the decision on whether a love one is to live or die....it was the toughest decision I have ever made in my life. I kept questioning myself and doubting whether I was truly making the right decision, a decision that once made, was permanent.

I guess it just takes time. He was sweet, loving, and downright hilarious. I just have to keep reminding myself that he had a wonderful life and remember that contagious smile that never left his face even during his last breath of life. I love and miss you my baby Bandit!

~Hong