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Did you know it’s Food Allergy Awareness Week?

I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know FAAW was even a thing. Turns out that it is. And it’s a big thing. Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room. Food allergies are also responsible for over 300,000 abulatory-care visits a year for young children!

Here are some other lesser-known facts regarding food allergies:

• Teenagers and young adults with food allergies are at the highest risk of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis.
• Individuals with food allergies who also have asthma may be at increased risk for severe/fatal food allergy reactions.
• Food allergies affect children and adults of all races and ethnicity.
• A food allergy can begin at any age.
• Your risk of having food allergies is higher if you have a parent who suffers from any type of allergic disease (asthma, eczema, food allergies, or environmental allergies such as hay fever).
• Children with food allergy are 2-4 times more likely to have other related conditions such as asthma and other allergies, compared with children who do not have food allergies.
• Food allergies may be a trigger for or associated with other allergic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.
• There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance of food allergens and early recognition and management of allergic reactions to food are important measures to prevent serious health consequences.

We’ve been blessed so far to not have any major food allergies or sensitivities in our family. But there’s at least one peanut allergy and one gluten intolerance in Emma’s preschool class, and I’ve been able to see how those conditions have really affected those kids lives already! We’re expected to be on alert just because our child is in the class with children who have allergies. Absolutely no peanut butter is allowed in the room and the play dough needs to be homemade.

Not that I mind, I’m just saying that these allergies and intolerances reach more than just those who suffer from them. We all need to be aware of the foods that can trigger an attack– especially those of us with young children. Be aware when other children visit your home, or when you send your kids to school, or when you’re eating a picnic at the park around other families. Always exercise caution when it comes to giving food to a child who is not your own!

And familiarize yourself with these allergens:

One of my contributors and personal friends, Megan, has been thrown head first into the deep end of parenting a child with a serious food allergy condition. I encourage you to read all about her experience so far. I think you’ll find hers is an enlightening and inspirational story, just as I have!

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, Megan asked me to come up with a dessert sans at least one of the top 8 allergens. I decided that fish and shell fish weren’t super applicable here , and went for something a little tougher– dairy.

I actually suffer from a mild case of dairy intolerance, so I like to use Almond Milk where I can! This is a perfect recipe for using Almond Milk– maybe even better than regular milk, because you can buy Vanilla flavored Almond Milk.

I also added a swirl of this dairy free Homemade Chocolate Syrup, just because that’s how I like to get my frappuccinos at Starbucks! Enjoy!

Learn more about and connect with Food Allergy Research & Education here:

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Notes about this recipe:

• Check out this recipe to see how to use a mason jar with a standard blender to create a single-serve blender.
• Optional (but yummy): whip up a batch of this chocolate syrup and pour a little inside your glass before filling with the frappuccino!

Milkshakes from Friends:

• Biscoff Cookie Dough Milkshake from Kitchen Meets Girl
• Coconut Macaroon Cake batter Milkshake from Crazy For Crust
• Copy Cat Shamrock Shake by No. 2 Pencil

Starbucks Cinnamon Bread

Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake

The post Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino {dairy free} appeared first on Something Swanky.

But without all of the preservatives and artificial stuff.

 My baby is turning 3 years old in a couple of weeks! So far, we’ve bought a Rapunzel dress, a Sleeping Beauty dress, a Snow White Dress, and a Belle dress. And matching shoes for all. Plus a miniature Ariel and Eric (the wedding set!). Never mind that we already have an Ariel, we didn’t have an Eric, and he only comes in a pair.

And all of that is just for her California party, on her actual birthday.

Oh, that’s right my friends.

There are TWO parties. We’re having another one here in Virginia with my family and her friends before we take off for California! So she’s also getting an adorable pink tricycle. And, of course, a purple princess helmet. And a purple princess bell to go on the trike. And a big box full of goldfish crackers.

But let me tell you what the real kicker is: my husband’s 30th birthday is 11 days after hers (with Father’s day mixed somewhere in there), and I still have NO clue what I’m going to do for him. I don’t have any ideas for the gifts, for the celebration… nada.

Worst wife award. Right here.

I’m wondering if he’d accept a pitcher full of homemade chocolate syrup in lieu of birthday gifts?

I was really, really wow’d by this chocolate syrup recipe! There are a lot of recipes out there, but I ended up going with this one from Sugar Bananas. I loved the simplicity of the recipe– you really can whip it up in a flash! And it seriously tastes like the real deal. Like, really really.

Chocolate from Friends:

• The Best Chocolate Cupcakes from Crazy For Crust
• Everything But The Kitchen Sink Brownies from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
• Triple Chocolate Scones from Inside BruCrew Life

Don’t miss a bite! Connect with Something Swanky:

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Homemade Nesquik

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The post Homemade Chocolate Syrup appeared first on Something Swanky.

It’s time to come really clean with you guys and tell you a little bit about my “professional” training:

I majored in Sociology (not photography, not journalism, and nothing culinary). My idea of a really nice camera was the itty-bitty Canon Power Shot my husband and I bought for our first anniversary. I had never heard the word “midtones” until about 6 months ago. I didn’t know that the best natural light is in the shade until about 5 months ago. And I couldn’t find my way around Photoshop or any other editing program if my life depended on it.

Which is why I love Picmonkey so much. Because despite all of my inadequacies in photography, Picmonkey is the online photo editing program that can make up the difference for my inexperience with a camera and editing software! As long as I can style a decent set and shoot sometime during daylight hours (although some hours will always be better than others), I can still make out with a pretty good looking photo without pulling my hair out trying to use some complicated program.

If you’re a pro photog and could Photoshop these in your sleep, more power to ya! Color me impressed!But if you’re like me, a novice photographer who doesn’t have the time to take on a fancy pants editing program that costs your first born child, Picmonkey is for you. And this tutorial is for YOU!

Disclaimer: Results will vary depending on the original state of your photo. No amount of editing can fix a truly awful, horrible, no good photo. Always shoot in natural light, use a tripod if available, and use the highest quality camera you can get your hands on. I can only recommend this method for up-close food and product photography, as that is my only experience.

After uploading your photo into Picmonkey.com…

Step 1: Re-size the image for web use. I size the image down to 585px wide to fit the width of my post area. This makes it a lot easier to work with (otherwise editing may be sluggish) and makes for better quality edits .

Step 2: Auto-adjust the Exposure. I know some people cringe at the term “auto-adjust.” But hey. That’s me. I need all the auto-adjusting I can get. I’ve found that there are some elements of editing that simply cannot be auto-adjusted, but fortunately, exposure is not one of them. As long as you follow the next two steps, auto-fixing the exposure seems to work just fine.

The post 4 Simple Tips to Edit Food Photos using Picmonkey.com appeared first on Something Swanky.

I thought yesterday was a wonderful Mother’s Day, and I hope all of you were able to connect with your loved ones and celebrate Moms everywhere!

Earlier this month, Fair Trade sent me a box of really lovely Fair Trade products to sample as a part of their “Moms Make a World of Difference” campaign. It was packed to the brim with organic goodies produced in an eco-friendly way.

So what is Fair Trade USA and what does it have to do with Moms? Fair Trade USA is a non-profit organization seeks to empower family farmers and workers (MOMS included!) around the world using a market based approach that helps farmers get a fair price for their harvest, facilitating safe working conditions and wages for workers.

They encourage farmers to transition to organic agriculture as it benefits both the farmer and, of course, the consumer.

“Moms are the backbone of farming families, and with Fair Trade these women are empowered to emerge as leaders within their communities. They now serve as board members of cooperatives, lead workers’ committees and are making strides to improve education opportunities for their children. When you buy Fair Trade you’re helping ensure that moms get safe working conditions, protection from hazardous chemicals, and paid maternity leave.” –FairtradeUSA.org

Celebrate moms, women, and small businesses by buying Fair Trade!

And if you’re wondering… my very favorite treat in the box was this amazing Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Chocolate Bar. LIFE. CHANGING!

Connect with Fair Trade USA:

Facebook | Twitter | Website | You Tube

The post Fair Trade | Moms Make A World of Difference appeared first on Something Swanky.

Monster Cookies are, by far, one of my favorite treats of all time. My Grandma made them for every family event for as long as I can remember, and the nostalgia adds tremendously to the taste of these cookies for me.

Last year I went a little crazy post Monster Cookie recipes. Starting with the original recipe, of course.

Followed by Monster Cookie Magic Bars,

Monster Cookie Dough Cupcakes,

Monster Cookie Dough Dip (the original recipe),

Nutella Monster Cookies (a personal favorite),

Monster Cookie Dough Mouse Pie,

and Monster Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

Seriously. 2012 was all about the Monster Cookies in a BIG way. And since 2013 is rapidly becoming the year of Reese’s, it seems incredibly apropo to combine the two into one, great Reese’s Monster Cookie recipe! I have a feeling you are going to loooooove these cookies.

Cookies from Friends:

• Triple Chocolate Oreo Cookies by Crazy For Crust
• Banana Split Cake Mix Cookies by Taste and Tell
• Reese’s Chocolate Potato Chip Cookies by The Domestic Rebel

100 Way to Eat a Reese’s

Biscoff White Chocolate Monster Cookies

The post Reese’s Monster Cookies appeared first on Something Swanky.

Hello! Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

Due to poor planning and the holiday, I don’t have a Skinny Recipe for today. But I have a really fabulous one in the works, and it’ll actually come with a great giveaway too! So be sure to come back next Saturday for all of that

Today, I just wanted to pop in and let you know how my week has gone. Which is… okay.

It’s been great in that I’ve met my one, solitary goal every single day: work out and eat breakfast first thing in the morning. That has happened, so I feel good there. I’m really trying to develop a habit of waking up early to fit in my work out. One of you left me a comment last week that really stuck with me, because it put into words EXACTLY what I’m trying to accomplish with this small goal…

Which is… to make exercise and eating breakfast so routine that I don’t have to think about it. I don’t want to have to waste my brain power on working so hard to get to the gym and eating a decent breakfast. If I can make that an automatic behavior, I can focus on the more challenging parts of weight loss– like afternoon cravings and late night snacking. Serious brain power needed there.

This week was not so great, however, in terms of actual weight loss. I actually am on the incline, which is not super pleasant . But…. I’m going to keep plugging away! The only other option is to give up, right? And I can’t do that. So, I’ll just keep trying. And maybe one of these days, I’ll be able to say “Hey! Something is working! I’m doing it right!”

Until then, I just want to say thanks to those of you who read these posts. Thank you so much for your support. Can you believe I haven’t had a single negative comment? I think it’s amazing that I haven’t had one person leave a comment saying, “Hey! Stop making so many desserts fat-so!” I was totally preparing myself for that, and it’s been a relief to not see it (yet)!

Make sure you come back next week! I’ll have a recipe and a giveaway you are NOT going to want to miss!

• Weight Loss: 0
• Next Weigh In: May 25

Is this your first week at Skinny Saturday? Read the first post here.

See all of the Skinny Saturday posts here.

The post Skinny Saturday Report appeared first on Something Swanky.

This collection of recipes is meant to serve as a resource to help you find some awesome Reese’s recipes from many different bloggers! These photos belong to different bloggers and are not mine. I have compiled them here to create a visual index of their recipes.

Please take the time to pin individual images from their original source by clicking on the links above the photos. To pin the entire collection, simply pin the collage image above!

Reese’s Fudge

Reese’s Chocolate Potato Chip Cookies

{Soft Baked} Reese’s Cup Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Reese’s Rocky Road Brownies

Chocolate Reese’s Cheesecake

Reese’s Popcorn Munch

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

Peanut Butter Reese’s Pieces Shortbread Bars

Peanut Butter Bars

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

Candy Bar stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies

Reese’s Brownies with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Chocolate Reese’s Pieces Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars

Reese’s Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cupcakes with Reese’s PB Chips

Fudge Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bread Pudding

Reese’s Krispies

Reese’s Crumble

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Sandwiches

Reese’s Fudge Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Pots de Creme

Reese’s Peanut Butter White Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Layered Krispie Treats

2 Ingredient Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Baked Buttermilk Donuts

Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Bars

White Chocolate Reese’s Cheesecake Brownie Bars

Double Layer Peanut Butter Chocolate Reese’s Cake

No Bake Reese’s Fudge Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Torte

Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Surprises

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Reese’s Cup Poke Cake

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Pancakes

Reese’s Overload Scotcheroos

Skinny Reese’s Milkshake

Peanut Butter Cup Smores Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pie

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

Peanut Butter Yogurt Pie

Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Reese’s Brownie Ice Cream Cake

www.bakersroyale.com/bars-and-cookie-bars/fluffernutter-bars/

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Giant Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookie

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Reese’s PB Kitchen Sink Popcorn

Reese’s Explosion Banana Bread

Reese’s Freezer Friendly Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Reese’s Cookies

Oreo Reese’s Brownie Bars

Ultimate Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Reese’s Fluffer Nutter Fudge Brownies

Reese’s Fluffer Nutter Cupcakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Magic Cookie Bars

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes

Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

Reese’s Basketball Dip

Peanut Butter Cup Cheerios Bars

Fluffer Nutter Rice Krispies Treats

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

Reese’s Pieces and Cups Cookies

Reese’s Fudge Pie

Reese’s Layer Ice Cream Pops

Peanut Butter Crunch Brownie Bars

Chocolate Coffee Cake with Reese’s Crumb Topping

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Reese’s Ice Cream Cupcakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Reese’s Brownie Pie

Peanut Butter Ball Stuffed Cupcakes

Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Waffles

Reese’s Cookie Batter Oatmeal

Reese’s Puffs Cupcakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Easy Snack Grahams

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bark

Deep Fried Reese’s Cups

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Madness

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Reese’s Krispies Treat

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms

Pretzel Bottom Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Pie

Cookie Crust Brownies with Reese’s Chips

The post 100 Ways to Eat a Reese’s appeared first on Something Swanky.

When I was younger, I desperately wanted a sister. But my mom kept cranking out baby boy after baby boy. Frankly, after the fourth baby brother, I’d really had my fill of tonka trucks and fire fighters. I mean, really. I was so over the boy thing.

At long last, 11 years after I was born, my mom finally had a baby girl, giving me a sister. Which was neat. I was happy and all. But what in the heck was I supposed to do with sister 11 years younger than me? We couldn’t talk about boys. She couldn’t do my hair. We wouldn’t be up in the night sharing secrets. We certainly wouldn’t be fighting over the bathroom or sharing makeup.

So I satisfied myself with dressing her up like a doll, getting lots of cuddles, and thoroughly immersing her in the world of Disney princesses.

And then the craziest thing happened…

She started to grow up! And somewhere in there, I think I might have stopped growing up. And the gap between us became smaller and smaller. The funny thing is, we still don’t do those stereotypical things I thought sisters should do– you know, the make up, talking about boys, etc…

But we have a blast baking together. Our favorite thing to talk about is the latest on Pinterest. She roams the blog world with me, and is familiar with the names and blogs of all my blogging friends. She’s tried (unsuccessfully) to teach me how to french braid my own hair about a dozen times. I helped her get into running, but she’s already blown way past me (we’ll chock that up to youth)! She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met, totally without guile. She’s funny and beautiful too. And even with an 11 year age difference, she’s my best friend. Funny how that worked out, isn’t it?

Her 16th birthday was in March, and she asked for a Grasshopper cake. Given my affinity for poke cakes, we decided to make it a Grasshopper Poke Cake Birthday cake! It. is. diviiiiiiiiiiiine.

Grasshopper Recipes from Friends:

• Chocolate Mint Poke Cake by Crazy For Crust
• Brownie Mint Cookies by Big Red Clifford
• Fudge Mint Popcorn by Inside BruCrew Life

Don’t miss a beat! Connect with Something Swanky:

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Thin Mint Cookie Dough Truffles

Fudge Mint Magic Cookie Bars

The post Better Than Thin Mints… Grasshopper Poke Cake appeared first on Something Swanky.

I don’t have time for a lot of things these days. All sorts of important to-do items get pushed to the back burner… paining my nails, making my bed, folding the laundry, budgeting, and menu planning to name a few.

And sure. When it comes to baking and cooking, I don’t always have the time it takes to make something completely from scratch. I mean, it’s great when I do. I definitely appreciate eating something that I know is great quality because I’ve made it in my own kitchen. But when that’s just not an option, I’m ok with using short cuts. Especially when I know they’re high quality shortcuts.

Like Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Filling.

Trust me, it’s not your ordinary canned food. It’s rich, and decadent, and most importantly– it’s not soggy and it doesn’t taste like metal (doesn’t that drive you nuts about most canned foods??). These pie fills are just what they claim to be: premium. My favorite is the strawberry filling, which I used in this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream a couple of months ago.

But this Apple Pie Filling comes in a close second… maybe it’s even a tie! Because I’m not sure there are many desserts that beat a good apple crumble. And a toffee apple crumble? That’s even better. Toffee and fruit may be one of the most underrated flavors ever– it’s amazing.

This crumble is a quick, easy recipe sure to impress even your toughest dessert critic! Serve it warm over ice cream, and your family will be fighting for the last bite!

Lucky Leaf is a new sponsor here at Something Swanky, and I’m excited to say that you’ll be seeing a lot of them over here in the coming months!

Another reason to get excited over Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings? They’re bringing you a fabulous Spring contest with a grand prize of $500, and two runner-up prizes of $200!! 10 other finalists will receive a Lucky Leaf gift pack.

Visit the Promotion Rules page to enter to win, and then head over to the Contest Entry Pin and pin away! The contest begins on May 1 and ends May 15.

Apple Pie from Friends:

• Apple Butter Pie Bars by Crazy For Crust
• Apple Pie Cupcakes by Inspired Taste
• Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls by Namely Marly

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Baked Brie Apple Pie

The post Apple Toffee Crumble appeared first on Something Swanky.

So last week, after (yet another) disappointing weigh in, I committed to waking up every day (except Sunday, which I don’t think I mentioned then), early enough to go work out and eat breakfast at our kitchen table. It was a small goal, because I feel like I need to go back to some fundamentals. I’m hoping that  month of working out first thing and eating a healthy breakfast turns into a habit that I can keep up. Once that habit is established, I’ll take another baby step.

This week went really well. I had a great cardio workout all 6 days, and ate a bowl of cheerios for breakfast every morning. I was scared to eat anything else… I know it’s a recipe for disaster, but I seem to do best when I eat the same thing every single day. I know I should have a little more variety to prevent boredom and all, but… it just scares me to veer away from something that I know works! Anyone else like that?

Oh, well. Baby steps right? Maybe I can explore different breakfasts next month

This recipe is a skinny version of one of  my very favorite treats: Snickers Apple Salad. And you know what’s even better than Snickers Apple Salad? Samoas Apple Salad. Seriously, it’s amazing. Try it!

You could probably replace the chocolate chips, grahams, and marshmallows in this recipe with a quarter or half serving of snickers or samoas without changing the nutritional value too much. Just be sure to cut them up into really small pieces so you get a little in every bite! I like this s’mores version though– it’s simple and yummy, and without much guilt! There’s half an apple and 150 calories in each (very filling) serving.

The post Skinny Saturday: S’mores Apple Salad appeared first on Something Swanky.