As part of a shopper insights campaign for Collective Bias, I was tasked with creating latte art using Gevalia’s new café-style K-Cups. You can view my shopping journey over on my Google+ page. It was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I’ll delve more into that later.

The new Gevalia café-style K-Cups come in three varieties: Cappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, and Mocha Latte. I chose Mocha Latte because I love mocha/chocolate inspired drinks. These new K-Cups are pretty awesome in that you can have that rich, foamy, coffeehouse style drink at home in under 2 minutes using your Keurig. Although it’s a 2-step process, it’s not complicated at all, I swear. You first take the froth packet (see below), and pour it into a mug. Step 2 involves putting the mug under your Keurig spout/dispenser and brewing the Gevalia Mocha Latte K-Cup over the froth in the mug using the 8 oz. setting on your Keurig, and you pretty much have a delicious, gourmet latte from the convenience of your own home. And the calories are only 80 per serving, so it’s a treat that I can have daily without stressing. It is delicious!

So, something I failed to think about before attempting latte art was how dark mocha drinks can be. I tried powdered sugar and a stencil…no luck. I tried the toothpick trick to bring the liquid through the foam and make a design…no luck.

I was stumped on how to make simple latte art. Then I thought of a super easy idea that anyone can do. Cookies!

These are thin shortbread/wafer type vanilla cookies. They go well with anything, and they are a blank canvas. Then I thought, well, how can I decorate them and amp up the flavor of the Gevalia Mocha Latte drink?

Caramel! I poured some caramel syrup into a squeezy bottle, and drew a cute heart on the cookie.

Pretty easy, just go slowly! You can also make initials, draw a flower, happy face, etc. Plus you can really use any syrup that has color to it and a flavor profile that will complement your drink.

Then you gently place it onto the foam of the mocha latte and enjoy! These may seem like an extra step, but it’d be so cute to do this sort of thing on Christmas morning, right?

It’s so simple, and who doesn’t love cookies with their coffee? I found that if I just used a spoon to scoop the cookie out, and I had a tasty treat to munch on with my coffee. I also found that just letting the cookie sit in there makes my mocha latte heaven in a cup. The gooey pieces of mocha-soaked cookie swirling around are AMAZING. But, just so you know, the foam holds it up well enough that it doesn’t get soggy instantly.

There you have it! A super quick latte (with art) thanks to new Gevalia café-style K-Cups. You can find a coupon for $1.50 off these new K-Cups over here. If you want to learn more about the Gevalia product line, check them out online/social media. They often do free samples, so it’s worth it to follow their streams so you can get deals and samples.

• Gevalia Website: http://www.gevalia.com

• Gevalia Twitter: @Gevalia  https://twitter.com/Gevalia

• Gevalia Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GevaliaCoffee

What is your favorite K-Cup? I’ve only had my Keurig for 2 months, and I’d love to hear about which products you love!

I got over my fear of Asian food thanks to this campaign from SocialMoms. I am usually not the type to seek out Asian style entrees, but I am trying to be more adventurous with my food choices, and I am also trying to not eat out at lunch as much. I got some coupons to try out Tai Pei entrees, and at only $2.18 each, they are a bargain lunch for the working woman (and man!).

My lunch hour consists of about a 5 minute drive home, so I like to maximize my 50 minutes at home by trying to prepare lunch in under 10 minutes. The Tai Pei entrees I tried are ready in about 6 minutes, plus 2 minutes of cooling time. So, in those 8 minutes, I wash dishes, let the dog out, check my email, and then I’m ready to enjoy my lunch. My fave was definitely the beef & broccoli.

I loved that there are actual broccoli florets. and not just a bunch of stems. There was also a good amount of meat, but as always, I wish there was a tad more. The great thing is that you can just heat it up and eat—no plate required! I will note that you do not take off the plastic wrapper before you microwave it, so just a tip about that. My instinct was to remove the wrapper. The portion is great (not too much, not too little), and even my hubby loved the entrees. We both work at the same employer, so we come home for lunch together and Tai Pei Asian Foods provide quick, affordable, tasty meals for anyone that is on the go.

I know a lot of my readers are calorie/portion conscious, and these entrees come in at under 450 calories, plus you can always add more veggies. The sodium is a smidge high, so drink lots of water when you have these meals. Overall, I highly recommend the Tai Pei line of foods, and you should check your local grocery store to see if they have the Asian Garden entrees which are geared a little more towards health conscious folks like me. They also have appetizers that look really good, too. I’ll definitely be adding Tai Pei meals to my lunch meal options.

If you’d like to give them a try, you can print out a buy one, get one free (BOGO Free) coupon right over here: http://bit.ly/1aLwKkF

You can also view all the Tai Pei line of food products at www.taipeifood.com

What are your favorite Asian/frozen meals? What do you do for quick lunches during the work week when you’re busy?

Today’s Friday Lust post is all about dining tables and chairs. Ooh la la.

In my post earlier this week, I told you all about how much I hate our dining set. It was absolutely perfect for our apartment that we lived in from 2007-2010, but now it’s just not what I envision for my home. It’s also hard to scoot the stools/benches in once you sit down, and it’s just…not me.

It’s got 2 stools + 2 benches (and a wedge we’re not using that connects the 2 benches to form a L shape), so it sits about 6 people. It’s counter height and nearly impossible to find a table cover for. Sad face.

Here’s what I’d rather have:

Traditional Dining Room by Burnsville Design-Build Firms Highmark Builders

Contemporary Dining Room by Lewis Center Interior Designers & Decorators Instyle Interiors

Traditional Dining Room by Centreville Photographers Buchanan Photography

Traditional Dining Room by Vancouver Architects & Designers Kerrisdale Design Inc

I want a gorgeous, weathered pedestal or trestle table with really beautiful chairs that have tufting or nailhead accents. The overall vibe I am wanting is sort of like if Restoration Hardware and ZGallerie hooked up for a one-night stand and had a baby. I WANT THAT BABY. Rustic, glamorous, classy and timeless. I also love the weathered, hand scraped table look because if a friend slams a glass on the table, or I drop a fork onto it, it just adds to the character. I don’t want a normal, super smooth finish, cherry or espresso dining set.

And that may be why I can’t find anything I can friggin afford. Here’s what I have found so far. In a perfect world, I’d buy this table:

$1295 from Restoration Hardware

And then I’d buy 6 of these chairs:

$449 each from Restoration Hardware

And then I’d move on with my life. But unfortunately, I don’t have thousands to spend on this endeavor, so onto the copycat versions of these pieces. This table from World Market is a strong contender, but the finish is too dark…

On sale for $499 through 9/30/13 @ World Market.

Then there’s the Cane Dining Table from Home Decorator’s Collection- I called to get the specs, and it seems like it will only seat 4 because the overhang at the edges is only 9 inches. Although, in a pinch, I don’t think it’s awful…but then again I wouldn’t be the one sitting at the edge. I’m also iffy on the color since it looks gray washed in one photo and really dark in another. On sale through 9/30/13- $599.

And another potential table from Home Decorator’s, but I wonder if the 48” size would be too small for my space? I’d like to be able to fit 6 people, so this may not work. I’m also not 100% on board with a circular table.

On sale through 9/30/19 for $359.

 

However, I’m about to contradict myself because I LOVE this round table from Ballard Designs:

$1199 at BD.

 

Chairs are easy enough to find, and although they’re cheaper than RH’s version, they’re not that cheap, KWIM?

 

$301 for a pair at Overstock.

 

Sigh. I don’t know what to do. I want what I want, and I know this is not a project I’d ever want to DIY, so do I just save up for my dream dining set? I’ve thought about freshening up my current set with some slipcovers or something, but finding slipcovers for the 2 benches is proving to be quite a task.

 

Advice, thoughts? If anyone cares to sponsor my entire dining set, please let me know. (Hey, it never hurts to ask) :)

This post is going to have a ton of pictures, so I totally apologize in advance if I cause you to go over your data plan for you mobile users.

My dining room has kind of stayed as is, plus or minus seasonal décor, ever since I did this reveal post last year. Well, the hubster and I have been lusting after a new dining table, so we rearranged the space a bit to see what it’d feel like in a different configuration. Ok, and I sort of lied…I’ve been lusting after a new dining table while my husband is 100% OK with the set we have.

It is the bane of my existence. But more about that in a post later this week.

We flip flopped the layout and now it looks like this when you walk in:

Now the dining table is what greets you when you walk in (before it was the sofa), and I’ll admit I despised the layout the first few days…Now I LOVE IT! It flows nicely, the room feels more spacious—which is a challenge since the room is about 10 feet wide and 30 feet long. Yeah, seriously narrow and long.

The chandelier is centered beautifully over the table, and mercury and jewel tone accents add drama to the space.

The candlesticks and mercury glass pumpkin are from one of my top 5 favorite stores: ZGallerie. The blue and magenta pumpkins are from Hobby Lobby, and the flocked damask runner is a wedding leftover from Kohl’s holiday collection back in 2008. Silver chargers are 98-cents each at Walmart.

Past the dining table, is a comfy, luxe seating area perfect for cocktails with the gals. Plus, there’s a doorway that leads straight to the kitchen, so that it’s easy to get refills on drinks or check on the puffed pastry in the oven.

And if you haven’t noticed, I finally splurged on some curtains with COLOR. My other ones were 5 different shades of beige, and these are STUNNING. They are a gorgeous peacock blue color, but when the light hits them, they can morph into having more green or blue. I am in love! The price is oh so right—these gorgeous SIlkana Teal Curtains are only $52 for a pair, and they are worth every penny. They do not totally block out the light, but they do filter it so it just softly embraces a room. Highly recommend!

And now onto more pictures and less of me talking…

 

Pee Wee always comes into my blog photo shoots to give his approval.

Or to lounge.

That mirrored table off to the left developed a HUGE crack out of nowhere. Ugh. So now a nice serving tray from World Market covers that sucker up.

I’m still obsessed with my ghost chair. I’m writing this very sentence right now while sitting in my ghost chair from Overstock. It’s so comfy. I think my circa 2008 Dell PC is an eyesore. Maybe Santa will bring me a new all in one PC this year…or maybe a Mac? Hhmm.

This frame is one of those fugly gold frames you can find at garage sales. While the gold may be old/ugly, a coat of spray paint can work wonders! Plus, look at those gorgeous, ornate elements on the frame.

These flocked damask pillows were a great score at JCP a few years back. I got 4 of them for $6 each.

The mirrors are from Kirkland’s and were about $10 each. They always have sales and coupons (plus you can use coupons from your phone), so I always go to Kirkland’s for affordable home décor such as mirrors, vase filler, and pumpkins for fall.

There you have it! Again, the primary “makeover” aspect of this simply involved moving around furniture, and bringing in accents from other rooms, but in the interest of full disclosure, I did splurge on the following:

• New Silkana Teal Window Panels (4 panels, $100 total)
• New trellis patterned pillow ($15 at Ross)
• New magenta pumpkin ($4 at Hobby Lobby)
• New black lamp shade ($10 at Ross)
• New bright white bulbs ($12 at Walmart)

Total: About $150 for a whole new look!

I have this obsession for pumpkins, so I love being able to scatter them throughout my home. The dining room won’t get to enjoy the fall décor too much since I have been selected for a super awesome opportunity that I’ll tell you about later this week. IT IS EXCITING!! I am so over the moon about it and can’t wait to gush all the details to you lovely people.

There are a few things I want to change about the space, in addition to getting rid of the dining table. I’d love a luxe throw with a fun geometric or damask print, a bar cart, wine fridge, recessed lights, a tufted storage ottoman, more wall décor, mirrored/acrylic serving tray, metallic pillows, and a less “beige” wall color. Oh and a gorgeous arm chair! I’ll be working on those during the next phase of my dining room facelift. :)

What do you think of my “new” dining room? Like? Love? Want to come over and have drinks with me?

If you have any questions about anything in my dining/office/living room area, please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll reply to you in the comments as soon as I can.

But here are some questions I am anticipating and will just answer now:

• Where is the sofa from? Macy’s: Chloe Sofa in Granite
• What is the wall color? Sahara Desert Sand by Glidden
• Where are the chandeliers from? Home Depot: Maria Theresa Chandelier
• Where is the “C” table from? Pier 1’s Hayworth Collection

In anticipation for fall, I’ve worked on 2 tasty fall inspired recipes as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®. These recipes are easy, delicious, and quick to make.

Here’s the first one!

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. I get beyond ecstatic when I see the fall preview start at Bath & Body Works—I am PUMPED for all things pumpkin from that point onward. And fall also reminds me of taking drives with my mom around San Antonio. She’d take me to get my most favorite French vanilla cappuccino from the local gas station, and we’d drive around killing time. We’d shop, see a $1 movie, or just explore the town. Now that I don’t live quite that close to her, these sorts of recipes help bring a bit of nostalgia into my kitchen and heart.

Candy Corn M&M’s have been one of my other fall obsessions since they came out in 2011. They have the familiar taste of candy corn with a dash of sophistication because of the white chocolate. They melt in your mouth, and they’re so sweet and satisfying.

When thinking of fall goodies, I knew I had to find a way to use some delicious candy corn M&M’s and pumpkin. It may seem like an odd combo when you first think about it, but trust me, they’re a match made in heaven.

These candy corn M&M’s pumpkin bars are so moist, and they have all the familiar flavors of a pumpkin pie with the added sweetness of the candy corn M&M’s. The result is a cake bar that is anything but dense. I cannot get enough of these cake bars. I am sort of happy I only make one 8x8 pan at a time or else I’d be gaining a ton of weight. I think this fall recipe is perfect for potlucks, football games, or simply as a way to spruce up weeknight dinners.

But enough of my jibber jabber, you probably want the darn recipe already, right? Well here it is!

Candy Corn M&M’s Pumpkin Bars
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 cake bar
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (or just use another 1/2 cup of regular flour)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of Candy Corn M&M’s

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.

-Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and pumpkin until well mixed. Add in the milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, toss in the M&M’s and mix together.

-Pour it all into the greased 8x8 pan. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes, cut into 9 cake bars, and enjoy!

The Candy Corn M&M’s are marbled throughout the bars, and they just melt when you take a bite. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness.

Each bite tastes better than the last. Ohmygosh.

And of course, you need a fall-esque drink to go along with these babies. How about some pumpkin spiced apple cider topped with homemade whipped cream? Yes. Definitely yes.

I LOVE apple cider, especially when topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel. It is warm, tasty, comforting, and whipping this cider up will make your entire house smell absolutely divine. It’s so easy, too, thanks to Mott’s 100% Apple Juice. Tart, yet sweet, and just perfect for fall baking and ciders. And topped with my homemade whipped cream? Well, let’s say you’ll never  need to spend money on fancy coffeehouse ciders again.

You’re welcome.

Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider w/Homemade Whipped Cream
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 8 oz./1 cup
Ingredients:

• 64 oz. Mott’s 100% Apple Juice
• 4 sticks of cinnamon
• 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Homemade Whipped Cream (Optional)

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar (or Splenda for baking)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions for the Cider:
-In a heavy saucepan, pour in the Mott’s 100% Apple Juice, cinnamon sticks, and pumpkin pie spice. Bring it up to a boil using a whisk to constantly mix the cider. Once it comes up to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. You could also put into a crockpot to keep warm, if needed.

Directions for the Whipped Cream:
-In a glass bowl, pour in your heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and spices and mix with a hand mixer until soft peaks start to form. Taste, and add more sugar/spices if needed or desired.

I know that this cider has a lot of pumpkin pie spice in it, but that’s what makes it so good. Some sips you swear you taste pumpkin pie, and then the next sip you taste apple pie. Delish! Topped with the homemade whipped cream it’s just out of this world delicious. If you really want to make it gourmet, add in a drizzle of caramel. This recipe is also easily halved or quartered if you want to make it on demand.

Mmm. I’m enjoying these a lot lately while blogging or watching football.

I hope the Candy Corn M&M’s Pumpkin Bars and the Mott’s Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider recipes will help get you in the fall spirit! I encourage you to create lots of wonderful memories this fall now that the weather is cooling off a bit. Take time to de-stress, enjoy life, and be with those you love.

What are your favorite fall/seasonal treats? I’d love to know!

And if you’d like to get more ideas and inspiration from M&M’s or Mott’s, make sure to follow them on social media (I do!):

• https://www.facebook.com/mms
• https://www.facebook.com/Motts

For more great ideas visit the Fall Baking and Entertaining Pinterest Board.