Tiffany's Healthy Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Hello my Sparklies!!! Today you are in for a special healthy treat! Tiffany's Healthy Chocolate Fudge Brownies, recipe by Yours Truly.  So today I was totes craving a brownie, but I can't keep my skinny girl figure if I eat brownies every day! So I came up with a healthy brownie that tastes amazing and very chocolaty, while still being only 100 calories per piece!

Looks AMAZING, right?

Here is the recipe:

Tiffany's Healthy Chocolate Fudge Brownies:

-1/2 cup Cocoa Powder 

-1 cup All Purpose Flour

-1/2 Baking Powder

-1/2 tsp Salt

-1 tsp Instant Coffee Granules (this is optional, but great for coffee addicts like me!)

-1 cup Truvia, Truvia Baking Blend, Splenda, or Sugar.(Personally, I am a fan of Truvia because it is natural)

-1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

-6 Tbsp Silken Tofu 

-2/3 cup Greek Yogurt (I use vanilla flavored, but plain works fine too!)

-2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

-1/2 cup Coconut or Vegetable Oil

-2 Tbsp Milk

Frosting:

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

2 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Coconut Oil or Softened Butter

*Optional

-Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Mix all brownie ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Pour mix into greased baking dish and baked for 35-40 minutes. To make the frosting combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix well. When brownies come out of the oven let cool for 10 minutes, then spread frosting on top of the brownies, and top with sprinkles if desired. If you want warm glazed brownies, eat right away. If you prefer a fudge-like frosting, refrigerate brownies. 

You know the best part? These brownies are so good, people will never guess they are hiding healthy ingredients like tofu and greek yogurt. When my boyfriend tried these he had NO CLUE they were even remotely healthy, until he caught my smirk and questioned their orgins. These brownies remind me of one of my favorite quotes from the movie 2 Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant.

 "Let me put it this way, I'm eating a piece of cheesecake made entirely of soy; and I hate it, but I'm eating it."

Of course you will NOT hate these brownies, but I still like the quote. :)

Enjoy!

Whats in Your Travel Bag?

Hello Sparklies!! If there is one thing I absolutely adore (besides glitter!) it is traveling! I took my first flight before I could walk, and now take at least 5 trips a year. My most recent trip was to beautiful south Florida!! In the middle of winter, I need to escape to somewhere warm, and work on my tan. :) Now for those of you who don't know I am a compulsive list maker, and extensive researcher. I believe I have read just about every travel themed article on the internet. Seriously. So, I decided, being the experienced traveler I am, it was time for me to write a travel article of my own. For my first article, I have decided to write about the journey, rather than the destination. For me, the journey usually takes place in a car, because I take lots of road trips. Today I'm going to share my essentials for making it through a roadtrip, whether the trip is 2 hours, or 12. Here is a picture of what I take in my personal travel bag.

I pack it all in my trusty IZOD tote.  Here is the breakdown:
1. Magazines I LOVE magazines, they keep me entertained for hours!
2. Journal I always keep a journal when I travel, because you think you will remember all the amazing stuff you did, but you don't.
3. DKNY Socks Okay, so they don't have to be designer, but socks are a MUST. They keep your feet nice and warm in a cold car, or drafty airplane.
4. Kindle or Books So, as you can see, I'm bringing a Kindle, and a book. Most people just need one or the other, but I have this irrational fear of not having anything to read. "What if my kindle dies?" What if my book gets wet?" "WHAT WILL I DO THEN?!?!?" So I bring both, just to be safe.
5. Cell phone No, that sparkly little thing is not my iPhone, but I needed my iPhone to take the picture, so I used the *shutters* flip phone instead.
6. Hand Sanitizer Airplanes are dirty, cars are dirty, the world is dirty. Use hand sanitizer.
7. Lipstick, Powder, Deodorant, Lip Balm Just because you are traveling doesn't mean you have to look and smell bad.
8. Lotion Airplanes especially are EXTREMELY dry.
9. Wipes My favorite wipes are Yes To Cucumbers Facial Wipes. They are gentle enough to use on your skin, especially your face, but in a pinch, they can also be used to clean up spills.
10. Tide Pen  For those "oops!" moments.
11. iPod, headphones Music makes everything better! Time flies when I have my headphones in!
12. Notepad Because I am a compulsive list maker, and need to make lists all the time.
13. Gum If you are flying, gum can help you clear your ears. If you are driving, gum is still good. :)
14. Snacks You need to eat! Normally I am a big promoter of healthy foods (notice the Fiber One bar) but you can still eat Goldfish and M&Ms once in a while. P.S. I did not eat those M&Ms, but the did come in handy when bribing small children to sit quietly.
15. Bottled Water I get dehydrated really easily. And when I get dehydrated, I get headaches. And I don't like headaches. So I drink lots of water when I travel.

So there it is! My very first travel article! I know there will be lots more in the future. Thanks for reading!
Leave me a comment! Whats in your travel bag?
<3 Tiffany

GOAL! I mean, TOUCHDOWN!, Oh, whatever.

Hello all you Sparklies!! Superbowl Sunday means 2 things for me. #1 Cute & Funny Commercials, and #2 Superbowl Party!!! Oh, football? I couldn't care less. I've never been a football fan, but I am part of the 75% of women who tune in just for the commercials. (Seriously 75% of women only watch for the commercials) Anyways, the Superbowl is still fun for me because it means I get to plan a party!! I love the decorating, food, and preparations that go into it. This year I've planned a Mini Man Menu. I know, title is weird, its not what you think. I am making mini versions of what I consider to be manly foods. The menu includes, hot wings, mini burgers, mini corn dogs, mini meatballs, and mini macaroni and cheese! Since one of my new years resolutions was to Be Healthier, I have also included so healthy choices on this years menu. We will have a HUGE veggies platter, and my sort-of healthy, sort-of not, favorite, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries!!! But of course, being the person I am, the strawberries must fit the theme, so they are Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry FOOTBALLS!!!! 

I know, they are super cute right? My boyfriend told me that real footballs had more string things on them, and I told him if he didn't like them, he didn't have to eat them. That shut him up. 

These babies are super easy to make, and they will be even easier with my handy dandy tutorial!!

To make them you will need:

-Strawberries

-Almond Bark Coating in Chocolate & White Chocolate

 (These are almost too easy!)

So for starters you need to melt your chocolate candy melts. The thing with candy melts is that they can be kind of temperamental. You need to melt them slowly at a low temperature, or they will just get thick and chunky. To do this, I melt them in a microwave safe bowl for 30 sec intervals on 50% power until they are smooth and completely melted. 

Next I pour my melted candy melts into a cup for easier dipping. Then I dip my strawberries in and let the excess chocolate drip off before laying them on a sheet of parchment paper.

Now you need to let them set completely. If your strawberries have been refrigerated (mine were) the coating should harden pretty quickly. If not, then you might want to stick them in the fridge for a few minutes. 

After the coating is completely hardened you get to add the signature football stripes. Melt your white chocolate melts with the same process you used before (50% power for 30 sec. intervals) Then spoon it into a zipblock bag. 

Snip the corner off of your zipblock, and use it to pipe lines on your strawberries. 

Adorable right?

What your favorite healthy party food? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Keep Calm & Eat Yogurt (Greek that is)

Good Morning my sparklies!!! Ahh, morning. It's my favorite time of the day. Even though I love staying out late partying, (sometimes), theres nothing like the early morning.  To me, morning is when everything starts afresh. You have a new outlook on a new day. The world is quiet, and then it slowly awakens. ( I know, this is pretty deep)  *tee hee* Another reason why I love mornings, is because they contain my favorite meal of the day, Breakfast!!! Now I know people make a big deal over breakfast.  People say: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day", "Eat breakfast to lose weight", "Kids that don't eat breakfast do poorly at school", it goes on, and on. But thats not why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love breakfast foods, and the freedom to eat whatever I choose. Oftentimes, your mother will make you dinner, or you will be out at a restaurant after work, and lunch was a granola bar you found in your purse, so sometimes you don't really get to pick out what exactly you are eating for those meals. But breakfast gives you the freedom to eat cereal, or leftover pizza, what freedom. :) My mantra for breakfast is:

Yes, yogurt, but more specifically, Greek yogurt. While yogurt itself has many benefits, its quick to eat, helps your digestive track, and is really all around healthy, Greek Yogurt is even better. Greek Yogurt has TONS of protein, so it can be your whole breakfast! I love Greek Yogurt because on rushed days, I can just grab one and it on my way to work, or on relaxed days I can dress it up with fresh berries, or anything else my heart desires. It is also fat free, low in calories, and many brands now have less sugar. Resolution #1 this year for me, was Be Healthier, and I can accomplish that by eating Greek Yogurt! Instead of a doughnut, (and I do like doughnuts) I have a wholesome meal, all in one little cup. I love to try all different brands and flavors of Greek Yogurt, so I am so excited for the releasing of these little fellows.

These Chobani bites will be hitting shelves soon! They are a new snack size of the Greek Yogurt you know and love, but these come in sophisticated flavors! The four new flavors are: Fig with Orange Zest, Caramel with Pineapple, Coffee with Dark Chocolate Drops, and last, but most certainly NOT least, Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Drops. Mmm! Just writing about them makes me hungry! Obviously, Chobani is out to prove that yogurt is no longer just a breakfast food. I can definitely see myself curling up on the couch at night eating on of these babies while watching The Devil Wears Prada (I just love Anne Hathaway!) Have you tried them yet? Let me know which new flavor is your favorite!

New Years Resolutions!!!!!

Good Morning my Sparklies!! It's the start of a new year, and you know what that means, it's time once again to make new years resolutions! Now for some people resolutions are a love-hate sort of thing.  Resolutions have a bad rap because most of the time people make resolutions, and then never do anything about them, so they never get anything done. For some reason people think that if they resolve to lose 10lbs, they will be able to do so, without ever leaving the couch. But, when a new year rolls around and they discover that they have not lost weight, rather they have added a few pounds, they hate the resolutions that didn't come true.  People these days seem to view resolutions as a wish, you simply make the wish, and expect it to come true, without any actions to help towards this wish. I am here today to tell you the sad truth: there is not resolution-granting genie out there. Now that we got that out of the way, I'd like to share my resolutions with you, and my plan to accomplish them. Here are my 2013 Resolutions:
1. Be healthier
2. Complain less
3. To eat more organic foods
4. To add sparkle to every day
5. To be more organized


Now six resolutions may not seem like very many, but you have to keep in mind that this is not a wish list, it's more like a checklist. If you think of each resolution as a task you need to complete, you will (hopefully) set more attainable goals.
If you start reading through my resolutions list, you probably won't make it past #1 without questioning it. Most people would read "Be healthier" as "Lose weight", because "Lose weight" is the #1 resolution in America. But no, I am not disguising "Lose weight" with " Be healthier", when I say "Be healthier" it has nothing to do with weight.  In this coming year, I want to live healthier by eating better, sleeping more, getting enough excercise, and taking care of myself.  Now granted, when I do these things, I might lose a little weight, but thats not why I'm doing it, I'm doing it to Be healthier. Now #2 on my list is: Complain less. I have a confession, I complain...a lot. So, is year I am going to make a conscious effort to complain less. 
Okay, #3 Eat more organic foods. For years I viewed organic foods as bad quality produce, with a high price tag. But between tasting really fresh organic foods, researching the merits of organic foods, and learning about the dangers of GMOs, I am convinced that organic foods are way more healthy. (this kind of goes with my first resolution!) In the beginning, a lot of the organic food I ate was small, tasteless, and discolored, making me wish for the huge brightly colored fruit I was used to. But then I realized that what I was eating, was not a good reflection of all organic foods. The fruit that I dislike, was merely a bad apple in the bunch, and the store where I had purchased it, was not the best source for organic foods. After doing some research I found a local co-op that supplies people with fresh locally grown & produced organic foods. Since I have discovered it, I have had some of the best eggs, cheese, fruits, and meats that I have ever tasted, all of which, are organic. In addition, I also learned of a local farmers market that sells tons of organic produce during the spring and summer months.
#4 is: To add sparkle to everyday. Now please don't think that this is some cheesy air headed thing, I'm not talking about actually putting sparkle on everything (glittered refrigerators just don't work for me) when I use the word "sparkle" here, its more like, excitement, happiness,joy, ect. It means adding brightness to each day.
My last, and certainly not least resolution is: Be more organized. I consider myself a fairly organized person, but there are definitely things I need to work on when it comes to organization.
Now these are not my "wishes" for the year. They are goals that I aim to achieve, during the year I will post ideas and inspiration, on how to accomplish these things, along with updates on how I'm doing with them.
I'd love to hear what your resolutions are, leave me a comment and tell me!

New Years Eve!!!!

Happy New Years Eve my Sparklies!!! Okay, one thing I can never figure out about New Years Eve is this: Are we celebrating the year past, or the year coming? For me I am celebrating the past year, after all, I know that it went well, but I have no idea what the new year will bring! So in celebration of the past year, I am dressed to the nines, with sparkle of course! For those of you who didn't catch my New Years Eve sneak peak, here it is again.  

As you could have guessed, Copper is the theme of this years New Years Eve Celebration.
So lets start out with those pennies, they are not just there for decoration. I used shiny new pennies along with some gorgeous copper chain to make my Penny Charm Bracelet! I got the idea from this blog here: http://whatiwore.tumblr.com/post/20791295255/diy-charm-bracelet

Okay, so next we have the eyeliner. This is e.l.f. eyeliner in the color of copper. (big shock right?) Here are the gorgeous eyes I accomplished with the help of my e.l.f. eyeliner. I am usually not a daring, kind of person, but these eyes are a must!

Now about that copper sequin background, that is no background its my brand new, never-worn-before Copper Sequin Shirt!!! I just about died when I tried this shirt on, and when I bought it, I specifically planned to wear it for New Years Eve. So here it is, on its first night out.

And last, but certainly not least, the nails:

Four of my nails are Revlon Fall Mood, and the last one is all glitter!!!

Now of course, I couldn't be all dressed up with nowhere to go, so my New Years Eve plans include dinner at Brio Tuscan Grille (my favorite restaurant!) and then clubbing with my girlfriends! We will see the year out in style! I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve!! Check back soon for my New Years Resolutions  & more on the new year!!

New Years Eve Sneak Peek!

The presents have been opened, the turkey is gone, and everyone is looking towards the new year. The new year is a viewed as a fresh start for a lot of things. People make resolutions, eat healthier, be nicer, sparkle more, you know, that sort of thing. But right now I'm not focusing on the new year, I'm focusing on New Years Eve! Here is just a little sneak peak of my New Years Eve blog post, which is coming soon! So check back soon to see the full story on this Sparkly Copper sneak peek!