Knockoff Earrings for Less!

Have you ever shopped at Shopko? I will admit, when I first checked the store out, I thought it was a little weird. To me, it feels like a mix between a Kmart and a Big Lots... they've got all you'd need, but it's often at a premium for sometimes not-so-great quality, unless you're shopping the ad or clearance. It's a weird little mix of a store but I secretly think it's pretty fun to shop the clearance, because when they go to clearance, they really go to clearance.

Enter these earrings:

It's funny, because in this picture, they don't look so bad - I like that color yellow. But in reality, the jewel was NEON yellow, not Big Bird yellow. Neon yellow isn't really my speed anymore... but I had seen these earrings on the Young House Love blog before (they're apparently a Sherry favorite):

Kendra Scott Jewelry - Danielle Earrings in Green - $60.00

and couldn't help but notice how these were almost exactly the same earring shape and size... but not with a $60.00 price tag:

...but with a $1.40 price tag. I can make a $1.40 work. Here's what the back looked like... they actually look and feel like a high quality earring (and you can see they are more neon in this picture):

I knocked out the jewel part...

which was easy to do... it was only being held in two spots on the sides. Easy!

I grabbed my Rust-oleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, and gave the jewels two light coats so they wouldn't drip.

Ironically, used the Shopko ad to catch the paint...

Looking good! I had to make sure to let them dry for a while as plastic doesn't absorb the paint at all.

I used hot glue to put the jewel back in, but will use Krazy Glue gel formula to really secure the jewel when I get some more :)

Pushed the jewel back in with a hint of glue, and they came out gorgeous! Much more my "speed", and a pretty color for fall! They remind me of these ones by Kendra Scott as well!

Kendra Scott Jewelry - Danielle in Black - $60.00

These are a great testament to always keep an open mind when shopping - a lot of things can be changed to fit your taste! Thanks for reading!

Low Carb Mock Danish with Cinnamon Glaze - An Alternative for Low Carb Breakfast

Good morning all!
When a some following a low carb breakfast has had eggs the past 5 days in a row, the thought of having eggs for day 6 leaves their faces looking something like this:

D:

So, I've got a low carb alternative for you, low carbers! Enter the mock danish - an easy to cook, mildly tastes-like-you're-eating-desert-for-breakfast treat. I found the recipe here and thought it was so good, that I wanted to share it with you all.

You'll need:
2 ounces cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cream cheese - slightly less carbs (cream cheese has 1, Neufchatel has less than 1. Oooo.) and less calories.
1 egg 
2 teaspoons granulated Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
Pinch of cinnamon

In a small, shallow bottomed glass bowl (I used an Anchor Hocking/Pyrex type bowl), add the cream cheese and microwave for 30 seconds. It should look something like this once mixed:

Now, add the egg and beat until relatively smooth. It's best to do this while the cream cheese is still hot. Add the Splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Beat until well mixed.

This is about how shallow my bowl is, which made for a perfect cook up. I've tried this before on a Corelle plate, it doesn't really ever cook correctly.

Once mixed, Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds; rotate the bowl (do not stir) and cook another 30 seconds, unless you have a microwave that has a turntable, then turning the bowl is not necessary. 

If the center still looks too runny, cook another 30 seconds. It may take up to 2 1/2 minutes total, depending on your microwave. The center should be a bit soft for the danish filling effect. Run a small rubber spatula around the danish, then under it to release from the bowl and put it on a plate. It'll probably fall apart a bit like mine, but it still tastes great. :)

Now, if you want to make the cinnamon glaze, melt 1 tbsp of butter, a teaspoon of splenda and a bit of cinnamon together. I wouldn't really recommend it, as I didn't care for the taste, but you might like it!

So there it is! A low carb, mock danish. According to Genaw.com, this recipe has:

With granular Splenda:
Per serving: 283 Calories; 25g Fat; 11g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 279 Calories; 25g Fat; 11g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

If you use Neufchatel cream cheese, you can knock another half carb off of there. Enjoy!