Nutella Fudge Pops

Yes. You read right. NUTELLA. FUDGE. POPS.

I was walking around Target one day and saw these popsicle molds, and put them in my basket without even thinking about what I was doing, so these were a really last minute thing, but they were TOTES worth it!

(Not so precise) Ingredients:

2-3 spoonfuls of Nutella (the more, the chocolatier! ;) )

1 cup of milk

A splash of vanilla extract

Warm the milk in a saucepan, then add the vanilla and Nutella. Whisk it all together until the Nutella is completely melted and everything is blended together. Take it off the heat, let it cool, and pour into your popsicle mold! Let those puppies freeze and enjoy!

I love Love LOVE Nutella, so I was pretty darn excited about these. They turned out really nice and they were so yummy! Perfect for a hot summer day! I can't wait to experiment with some other flavors for more frozen treats!

❤Sara

Happy Summer!!!!

Happy first day of summer, everyone! 

Can you believe it's the end of June already? I know I say this every month, every year, but I really can't believe it! Time really does fly when you're having fun!

I hope y'all are enjoying your summer so far and have some fun things planned with your friends and family!

❤ Sara

Strawberry Lemonade

When I hear "summer," I think baseball, the beach, hot dogs, and lemonade. Yesss.

I don't know what came over me, but I suddenly had a craving for strawberry lemonade. And when I get a craving, I pretty much have to take care of it right away, so I made my way to the grocery store to get some ingredients.

- 1 cup lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
- 1 1/2 cup simple syrup
- 3-5 cups water
- 1 cup strawberry puree (about a pint and a half of fresh strawberries and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar)

I started by mashing up my strawberries with a few tablespoons of sugar. You can use a food processor or blender, but I actually just used a potato masher and fork. I let the mixture sit in the fridge for about an hour before mashing it up a little more and running it through a strainer.

Next I made the simple syrup. One and a half cups of water. One and a half cups of sugar. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely. Done. Simple!

Now for the main attraction - LEMONS! Juice your lemons and strain (no one wants seeds in their lemonade), then add the syrup, water, lemon juice, and strawberry puree to a pitcher, stir, and voila! Strawberry lemonade! Totes delish! My only suggestion is to add the syrup, water, and strawberries slowly, according to your taste. Obviously, if you like your lemonade stronger, or more tart, you won't need all the water or syrup. I happen to like mine sweeter. :)

This can also be made with raspberries. That would be just as good!

 

If you guys have any good summer recipes, let me know!

 

♥Sara

The Blue Typewriter is on Instagram!

Let's talk about something serious, shall we? Instagram. Okay... this isn't really serious, but it's pretty fun, right? Instagram is an easy way to share photos. You take a picture. You add a filter. You share it with anyone willing to look. Boom. You're now on Instagram.

Whether it's a picture of you and your friends, your dinner, your dog, or that creepy looking tree in your neighbor's backyard, it's a great way to share what's going on in that moment of your life. And while there might be one or two people who don't want to see that creepy tree, we do!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@BlueTypewriter) to see our photos and please leave a comment with your Instagram username! We'd LOVE to check out your photos too!

♥ Courtney & Sara

DIY: Travel Stationery Portfolio

Letters. There's something so special about opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten note in a colorful envelope with your name on it! I adore receiving letters, but I enjoy being the one behind the writing. When I'm traveling for a few days, I like to take some stationery with me — you never know when something newsy is going to happen! Here's a quick DIY for a Stationery Portfolio.

Supplies:

- 4 greeting card size envelopes

- Markers

- Assorted stationery

- Assorted envelopes

- Postage stamps

- Assorted stickers

To make the portfolio, moisten the glue on the flap of one envelope, and place another envelope over it — lining up the bottom of one envelope with the crease of the flap on the envelope with the glue. Do this three times, so all your envelopes are attached.

 Decorate your envelope pockets and stuff them with stationery goodies!

Fold up your portfolio (one right envelope, one left envelope, then close it like a book) and decorate the front if you'd like. I made this as a little "Welcome Summer" gift for my friend, Beverly — another avid mail lover! To finish it off, I tied it with a ribbon and inserted a pen under the bow.

This method also makes a handy coupon organizer for your purse, using smaller envelopes. 

Happy crafting and happy weekend!

♥Courtney

Fun in Annapolis

 

A few months ago, Courtney and I went to Annapolis, Maryland and got to explore for a few hours before heading to the Texas State vs. Navy football game (Go Navy!). I had been to Annapolis a few times before, but never really got to wander around and explore, so this was a really fun experience.

We started our day going to - you guessed it - Starbucks. It's like a magnetic force that always seems to pull us in.

Starbucks at the Maryland Inn of Annapolis - Photo from http://www.historicinnsofannapolis.com/annapolis-starbucks.aspx

 

This was the coziest Starbucks we had ever seen!  Even cooler? This particular Starbucks, in the basement of the Maryland Inn, used to be a jazz club, which you can certainly see by the black and white photos hanging around and the jazz music playing.
 

After our quick coffee break, we went to check out the rest of Main Street. There are a lot of fun gift shops and places to eat, not to mention a beautiful view of the Chesapeake Bay - we were very fortunate for the beautiful day.

I can't wait to go back and explore some more shops! There was so much to see - clothing stores, places to eat, gift shops - so fun!
 

For lunch we got sandwiches at My Favorite Muffin. I guess was super hungry because I didn't even think to take a picture! There were plenty of desserts to choose from, though! Just look at those sweets from Kilwins!

We are definitely planning on going back, and now that Spring weather is finally here, it'll probably be sooner than later!

♥Sara

Coffee Shop Saturdays

One of my favorite Saturday things is grabbing a leisurely cup of coffee and a treat at my favorite coffee place. Add good company and that makes the day a thousand times better!

There was a new star in the bakery case today: Ladies and Gents, allow me to introduce the Strawberries & Cream cupcake! WHOAH. The flavor was perfect — not overly sweet and artificial. New favorite? Yes. Definitely, yes.

❤ Courtney