The Better Martha Chops It Off!

Get ready for the most narcassistic post you will ever find on my blog. But I did something pretty major so I have to share it with you all! I chopped off most of my hair!!! For the last year or so I have progressively been cutting it shorter and shorter (much to my parents dismay) because I hate washing and straightening long hair so I decided to say bye-bye to my long tresses and my flat iron. I'm a curly girl now!

{Long hair, bob, bob with short back long front, curly top}

In all honesty, I'm actually prepared to go even shorter like her, but my parents weren't having it. Hehehe! I'll be leaving for college in two months... I may just get very scissor happy when I'm away from home! #teenagerebellion 

To read more about why I cut my here click here.

The Better Martha Eats Healthily {GASP!}

From this post, this post, this, this or this post you probably wouldn't think that I had ever eaten a vegetable or fruit in my life. But I'll let you in on a little secret: I actually keep a close eye on the food I consume, it's the only way that I'll live to 30. I'm sure you've seen those scary TLC shows where a person has gotten so large only a crew of firemen can get them out the house... yeah... I would rather that not be me. Here is what I eat on a typical day:

 

{Snakity snacks: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, blackberries, or kiwi}

 

{Breakfast}

{Lunch}

{Dinner}

Then how do you create those delicious treats and confections, you ask? Once a week, usually on Saturday morning illegal amounts of butter and sugar are used to create something delicious. I'm still trying to become one of those crazy people who can bake a batch of cookies and only eat one. Someday that day will come... someday a long time from now, but eventually. I hope.

 

{Talbots dress, Tommy Hilfiger sunnies, Kate Spade clutch, Steve Madden wedges}

Plus when you eat fabulous food you look fabulous. Okay, you caught me. I really just wanted to show off this dress. I feel so June Cleaver-esque when I'm in it. 

The Better Cookie+Oreo+Brownie = ???

I'm sad to say that I've held off on this post for a bit of time because I was unable to come up with catchy name for it. But honestly, who would bother to ponder the name of this creation? Exactly, no one...because they are too busy shoveling it in their mouth to care. Anyway, let's move on, shall we?

The majority of my fond memories from high school took place on our annual outdoor ed trips. We've been doing them since sixth grade, so that is 7 camping trips I've had to live through gotten the opportunity to take. Those who know me are aware that I'm more of a stiletto booties than hiking boots sort of girl. And even though that is the case, I've been able to put aside my love of fresh hotel linens for late nights of laughter and story telling under the stars with my best friends.

So how does this relate to this delicious creation? Hold on, I'm getting there. Because I'm The Better Martha, I was put in charge of the food for my group of five. I was inspired by this* dessert, but knew it probably wasn't going to be the easiest thing to transport. I put my thinking hat on, got crafty, and decided to make individual portions. With tall glasses of milk we ate them throughout the day. What else is expected when moms aren't around to tell us otherwise?

*The recipe and baking time remained the same, you just need to use a muffin pan instead of a baking pan. 

The Better Parents Renew Their Vows

This past weekend was an interesting one to say the least. It was the celebration of my parents 30 year anniversary, and I frankly was astounded that life existed for them before I arrived into the picture. It was so much fun listening to all the wonderful things people had to say about them, even if they weren't always true (i.e. my parents are the coolest parents around). Love them to death though, and am so proud that to them 30 years is nothing more difficult than preparing a jerk chicken.

{30 years ago}

{Vow renewal location}

{The "bride" and "groom"}

My mom is so over the top. Look at her gown. I mean look at it! Plus she had an ice sculpture and a harpist. Who does that for a VOW RENEWAL? She's a lot of things. Cool I'm not so certain about, but a fabulous diva? For sure.

*Last two photos credit: Breanna

The Better Cocktail Attire for Summer

The last few days have been filled with drama, terror, and a plentiful amount of stress, but honestly it's my own fault. This is what I get for watching Revenge back to back to back on Hulu. I've been glued to my computer monitor from morning 'till night, and my mom has been asking me what I'm doing to be so exhausted having not left the house. Honestly it's this peek into the lives of real people living in the Hamptons TV show that's doing it!

Anyway, on a more bloggy note, the show got me thinking about summer parties, and the appropriate cocktail party attire when the LBD feels so overplayed. Here's a simple guide that I'm sure even Victoria Grayson would approve. 

The Better Martha Goes Glamping: Part II

Rules of Glamping
 

1. Sometimes it is impossible to look cute. Accept it and make a competition of who can look the silliest. My absurd posing, dirty pants, and funny helmet make me the winner!

2. Try some new and crazy things like rock climbing or going down a natural water slide. You'll be scared to death, but in the end you won't have  any regrets. 

3. Take time to enjoy the scenery and clean air. The smell of car exhaust and food vendors is nice and reminds me of home, but the crisp air of nature shouldn't go unappreciated. 

*Photo credits to Britt, Mackenzie, Hannah, and Alice

The Better Martha Goes Glamping: Part I

Before graduation, I had the pleasure of going on my senior outdoor education trip. Nothing beats the fun of no showers, no washing machine, and no toilet. I'm totally joking. That part wasn't fun at all. However it was worth going all primitive for the quality time spent with friends. It was oddly refreshing to be in a place where there wasn't smog or traffic, and where people weren't incessantly checking their tweeting, beeping, and flashing devices. Since I am The Better Martha, a guide on glamping is an obligatory post after my recent trip.

{Grocery shopping}

{A busy kitchen is a messy kitchen}

SNACKS

{Snacks}

After hours of hiking, rock climbing, kayaking,  and tanning  sustenance is a must. The best snacks don't require utensils, won't melt and are travel friendly. Pictured above are the various snacks that I brought along. Everything on the far left was bought in bulk from Costco before I placed them into individual serving sizes. Not only does this help when everyone is on the go, but I have serious problems with people sticking grubby fingers into a family size bag of pretzels. This gets rid of that problem entirely. 

Meals

Who says when in the wilderness you must be reduced to a oatmeal and ramen noodle diet? This is why camping is overrated, and glamping is more my style. Since every food group (4-10 people) brings along a few pans and a camping stove, you are only limited by your imagination.

{Chili in the making}

{S'morkies in the making}

{On this particular night the dinner theme was kindergarten. Mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, and tater tots were enjoyed}

With a little good amount of prep work before we departed our group was able to enjoy cheesecake, garlic bread, and pancakes without having the convenience of a full kitchen.  By cooking, freezing, and storing in a cooler, dinner time was simply a matter of throwing something in a pan or heating on a skillet. Take a look at our favorite meals here.

The Better Way to Make Bacon

I love bacon. nOM NoM NOM! But I sure don't like making it. Standing over a griddle as oil pops and ruins your silk blouse is no fun. No siree.

 

I don't know why I have never done this before, baking bacon, that is. It comes out just as crispy, plus if you are making BLTs this is great because it takes less time to make a large quantity, and the strips come out nice and flat. Just set the oven to 350ºF, turn the timer to 20 minutes, and walk away. Silk blouse crisis averted.

On a non bacon related note, Canine found the one patch of sun in the yard then decided it was nap time. #everyonelovestosunbathe

 

The Better Martha Graduates

June 7th, 2012 marked a big day for me. From now on I'm recognized as an alum. When I go back to visit my campus I will say this was where I spent my days, these were my teachers. Who knew that tense conjugations could signify so much? Although there were many days where I complained about the harsh work load of this prep school, looking back I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to go there. Not everyone is so gifted with such intelligent friends, such supportive teachers, and such loving family members. I hit the jackpot because I've always had all three. Here are some snapshots from the day. 

{Me, Dad, & Mom (rocking the Prada sunnies)}

  

{Queen of the school, Tina instructs me not to trip before I head down the aisle (of doom when wearing heels}

 

{The reason I tower above everyone: 6 inch L.A.M.B platforms}

{I can't believe I have known Britt for 14 years!}

The Better Corn Dog Bite

I will just come out and admit it, I have a serious fear of frying foods. When you think about it, it's not that irrational, I mean a big pot of hot oil just waiting to burn your face off with one wrong splatter? Can you really call me crazy? But it's funny how a serious craving for corn dogs was all I needed to get over the possibility of third degree burns. Huh...

Luckily the creation of this deliciousness did not result in the trip to the the burn unit, but after eating a few too many, the chances of me needing to see a cardiologist have increased exponentially. 

 

The recipe I used was taken from the wonderful blog A Cozy Kitchen.
However, instead of dropping the battered hot dogs into the oil, I recommend you keep them on wooden skewers. I found this to be a better method because it allows me to keep them rotating and completely submerged so  they cook evenly. 

For the sake of my waist line I'm very thankful that frying food is so inconvenient. As soon as I popped a mini corn dog in my mouth, I thought something along the lines of "HOLY MOLY THIS IS DELICOUS!" and then thoughts of what else I could deep fry came to mind: french toast, battered cheese, eggplant... oh the endless possibilities. On the downside my entire house now smells like a McDonald's kitchen.

Summer is right around the corner, and of course, that means plenty of unnecessary parties (my favorite kind). Left on the skewer, these would be fantastic for guests to dip in their condiment of choice.