SXSW Photo Update!

Finally got back from the beach and I feel amazing! It's been years since I've been on a vacation and spending a few days enjoying a sunny shore with my boo was exactly what I needed. It is hard to adjust to being back but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things.

As promised, here is another photo update and this one is still (relatively) current! For those of you who don't know each year during the middle of March Austin hosts a GIANT festival called South by Southwest (or SXSW or just South by). Shit gets cray. People are everywhere and bands are playing where ever (the street, door ways, retail shops, on the backs of trucks driving through town). Due to a major case of being broke (aka my life) I couldn't afford the $150-$200 for a wrist band to get into shows, let alone the $500 or whatever for a badge. BUT, the great thing about SXSW? So many free shows you don't even need to drop any money to enjoy music. Websites like do512 or Austin's free paper The Chronicle listed (almost) every party, event, and showcase and there were so many free one's because labels and companies want to splash out their band or product in a big way.

I worked a ton of extra hours at my second job because it's a retail shop that focuses on music and it's located in the heart of downtown. We were crazy busy but the money was awesome. I did manage to get Saturday (St Patrick's Day) off from both jobs so I wanted to experience a bit of music fun. First thing first, I had to buy some Irish whiskey (I'm Scot-Irish so I gotta rep my roots). There was a free afternoon/evening show on Auditorium Shores that I went to. The only thing I paid for was a pint of Fosters ($9!! But, honestly, can you really enjoy a beautiful Texas afternoon and wonderful music without some beer? No.).

There are sometimes I am so blown away by my town. I saw an amazing line-up of bands while standing on the shores of a river with the gorgeous Austin skyline in the background. Also, besides kick ass free parking because of my job I also enjoyed free food; Sabra hummus and Sun Chips were handed out to everyone. Can't really beat free music and free snacks.

Even though they don't have to, Auditorium Shores provided a ton of free porta potties which was awesome because a pint of beer can cause some gotta pee NOW issues.

As the sun set The Cult took the stage. The screen had a giant, really cool looking, skull on it but my iPhone obviously didn't manage to catch it. But look at that crowd! Thousands of people lined up to enjoy the show which was great and also featured a surprise cameo from Matthew McConaughey on the bongos (seriously, I can't make this stuff up). Don't believe? Here's a YouTube video.

Even though I'm young and fun and a giant fan of music after a 60+ hour work week I didn't want to deal with crowds or downtown or even people anymore. So I did the only thing I wanted to do:

I went home and enjoyed frozen pizza, bread sticks, whiskey, and yogurt pretzels with my boo. Sure, it's not as cool as some Vice or Perez Hilton after party or pre-party or whatever but my feet were the size of a beast and my sunny disposition was fading real fast.

So, there it is, my SXSW 2012. I managed to fit in work and fun and spent less than 10 bucks on everything. Now, obviously, if you were coming into town for the fest you would spend more (flight, hotel, etc) but for those of you that live close it's incredibly easy to not waste money or spend a lot.

Picture Update: Valentine's Day

I recently feel in love with Token Fat Girl over at Natural Weight Loss Blog. Seriously, she is my blogger hero. All her updates are gorgeous and every food item she posts looks mouth watering.

Anywhoo! Her wonderful blog inspired me to try to post more and to include more personal life updates and pictures. I know I'm a bit (aka A LOT) late with a Valentine's day post but I'm trying to clear out the photos from my iPhone and this was the first batch. ENJOY!

Chocolate Festival at Central Market; sorry for the blurry snap, I was too busy trying to stuff my basket full of sweets to concentrate on photo art.

This is the chocolate I used for the Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano Cupcakes in this post. The Bacon chocolate didn't last long enough to make it to a recipe.

Homemade whipped cream and strawberries <3. The thing I love I about the "recipe" for homemade whipped cream? Take heavy whipping cream, whip, stuff your face. How easy?

Ridiculous Valentine that I sent my man. If you don't know about the Honey Badger*, you really need to get your shit together.

*I say (type?) that in jest, I just learned about the honey badger like, last month. And I'm pretty good at dicking away time on the internet.

How my man and I celebrated February 13th. Drank too much whiskey, ate pizza, and I got flowers <3 For the actual day of Valentines he cooked me dinner, and took me to a drive in, and we enjoyed that homemade whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate :)

Sorry this post isn't terribly long, I have to go to my second job then I go to my first job. Ugh, it isn't easy balancing my schedule.

Sweet Tooth Mania

This week, I bring you recipes sponsored by my gigantic sweet tooth. I love sweets. I mean, really. LOVE. Luckily, I live a life that often has occasions where sweets can be included. The crazy thing? Both of the cupcake recipes I found ended up being vegan and totally delicious. In my 4 year stint of veganism I became an expert vegan baker but I didn't even mean to bake vegan dishes. Just goes to show, that food can be amazing AND vegan.

In this post I bring you:

-Birthday Stout and Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan)

-Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano Cupcakes (Vegan)

-Honey and Whiskey Ice Cream

First up: Stout and Chocolate Cupcakes

It was one of my best friends birthdays at the begining of the month. We usually throw a mini birthday part at girls night to celebrate. My friend has recently really gotten into beer so I wanted to represent that in the sweet treat I made her. I found this recipe on Chef Chloe and I loved it! When I first googled "Beer Cupcakes" all I could find were recipes that were filled with sour cream, heavy cream, and multiple sticks of butter (not lying, one had 4 sticks of butter in the recipe!!). Now, I love food and sweets but I wanted a light cupcake that really showcased the rich and fizzy flavor of beer. I liked Chef Chloe's recipe because it was simple and cheap (I had all of the ingredients and only had to go out and buy one bottle of beer). I wasn't able to find a single selling bottle of Oatmeal Stout so I used Leinenkugal Brewery's Fireside Nut Brown. The cupcakes came out perfectly and I really enjoyed drinking the remaining bottle of Fireside Nut Brown :)

Second Up: Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano Cupcakes (Vegan)

During February a local grocery store called Central Market had a Chocolate Festival. A coworker and I went and I ended up spending around $20 bucks on specialty chocolate. I purchased bacon chocolate, sweet Mexican vanilla chocolate and a guajillo chili chocolate. The vanilla and guajillo chocolate were both from Taza and while they were delicious they were a bit too grainy to be consumed on their own. I went to the Tazo website and found a vegan recipe for guajillo chili cupcakes. I liked this recipe because (again) I already had all of the ingredients (except for the lemon juice) so it was super cheap and easy. I ended up using some of the left over icing from the Stout Cupcakes. I also used some of the vanilla chocolate to make a sweet ganache for the cupcakes that I didn't have icing.

Up close

Finally! Honey and Whiskey Ice Cream

I've mentioned before that I've started seeing someone new. He's awesome and I'm constantly thinking of ways to show him how glad I am that he's in my life. Those ways are usually food. We're both big fans of whiskey so I wanted to find a recipe that included some kind of bourbon. When I found this recipe for Honey and Whiskey Ice Cream I was so freaking pumped. Besides loving whiskey we both are bananas for ice cream. So, I'm about to say (type?) some craziness. I really enjoyed this recipe but I want to tweak the way it's made because it tasted too much like whiskey. I can't even believe that I'm critical of anything for tasting too much like whiskey. I love whiskey! I was just disappointed that the sweet honey flavor was completely over powered. I plan on making a batch for my beach trip next week and I'm thinking that if I simmer the honey and whiskey together instead of mixing the whiskey straight into the whipping cream that both flavors will have a chance to shine.

Despite the pounds and pounds of sugar I've been consuming my body is still looking nice which is good because I'm one week away from sitting on a bright and sunny beach with my honey. I'll be posting about ways to save money while vacation soon!

March 2012 Link Roundup

I just want to roll in a pile of money......and then use it to pay off my student loans

So I wanted to start a new feature where I gathered news articles, hot topics, and current trends about savings, debt, and money in one easy post. Not only will this save time and stress in trying to keep up to date with everything, hopefully some great advice can be gathered and spread :)

In "You've Got to be Fucking Kidding Me/Rich People are Bastards" News

Banker Complains his $350, 000 bonus isn't enough This banker has the audacity to complain about being cash strapped and possibly not being able to afford private school, multiple homes, and fancy home renovations. SHUT THE FUCK UP. I buy dollar store toothpaste you do not know the meaning of poor or broke or strapped for cash. The article discusses how the poor can't understand the stress of the rick. Puh-lease. This banker is fretting over whether he might have to pull his kids from private school. I fret over weather I can turn on the heater when I'm freezing my ass off in my apartment.

Rich Woman Enslaves Illegal Immigrant for 6 Years: This woman lived in a mega mansion. MEGA. Helicopter pads, gold gilded ceilings, 35 rooms, etc, etc and she can't bare the idea of paying the woman who is raising her children a minimum wage. The mansion has 35 rooms and she forced this human being to live in a closet (granted it was probably a fairly large closet but still)!! Then she had the audacity to try to convince the woman's son to lie so she won't get in big trouble. I hope the illegal immigrant only identified as V.M. gets a hefty pay day and can live happily while rich whitey gets what she deserves in prison.

In "Oh, So I Just Suck at the Internet" News

Man Makes $10,000 off of Ebay Now I've mentioned in a few posts about trying to sell items on Ebay (if not please visit my store and buy my things so I can eat!). But, at the most, I've made $100 bucks. This dude makes thousands. THOUSANDS (why do I keep shouting?!?!). While, at first, this article just made me feel pathetic it also offered up some great tips on how to up your business on Ebay. The tip about using your smart phone while at thrift stores to check to see if an item is selling is great and I would have never thought about even looking into sports jerseys. As of right now, selling is sort of low on my list of priorities but it's something that I can always fall back on.

In "Saving Money the Old Fashion Way" News

Wash Your Hair Less!!: I have a ton of hair and it costs so much time and effort to up keep it. I started saving money by switching from expensive salons to beauty schools and I've gone a step further by decreasing how often I wash my hair. I usually wash my hair every other day, I've been dying my hair for years and I need the extra oil. However, now I try to go every two days or 3 times a week. Some people can go longer however, I'm in the process of growing my natural hair out and it's far greasier than the dried out dyed out I'm used to dealing with. Now, I know what you're thinking, walking around with greasy hair is gross, unprofessional, and unattractive. Yes, that is all true. BUTTTTT, there is a product that saves the day. Dry Shampoo. It is the most glorious invention ever. Just a few sprays and oily hair is transformed and appears clean looking. TRESemme just came out with a new line of dry shampoos and conditions. For less then $3 bucks you can improve your hairs health, save time on washing your hair, and save money on expensive shampoos and conditions.

6 Ingredients You Don't Really Have to Buy: I love this article. I tend to eat the same thing so I have only basic ingredients in my house. Now instead of fretting and feeling the need to run to the store if I don't have something I can just whip it up in my kitchen. Also, subbing plain yogurt for sour cream is heaven on your waist line.

6 Simple Changes that can Help You Save $2,997 a year on Groceries: I really like this article because it points out how small changes can add up to big results. Something as simple as cutting out meat a few nights a week can reduce spending (as well as improve the environment and your figure!). This article touts the wonders of the slow cooker which I feel that I have mentioned more than a few times on this blog. Best investment and so easy to use.

Myths About Car Repairs That Cost You Money: I love this article because I don't really now much about cars and it's nice to have an easy to use guide on car repairs. I don't know jack shit about engines or transmissions but I can just add a few thousand miles in between oil changes. That's more than easy since I often suffer from extreme laziness. It's insane how we become so convinced that there are things we have to do (wash our hair every day or be dirty, change oil every 3,000 miles or hurt the car, etc) that are simply ploys to get us to spend and waste more.

In life news I'm going on vacation at the end of the month!!! Woo-hooooo!!! My boo is in desperate need of a vacation (he's been working 6 days a week for a while now) and wanted to hit up the beach. Because I've obviously died and gone to heaven he wants to take me along. He's rented us a cabin on the beach. Whose life am I living right now?? My main worry is obviously spending too much so I'm coming up with great tips and ideas to save money on vacation. Until then I'm hitting the gym to get my bod beach and bikini ready.