Fav Music Question...

Ok, question time!! I'm super curious, and just have to ask: what is your favorite kind of music??

I love everything, truly. I used to say I like everything but rap, because that was the only area of music I couldn't get into. I've found it inspiring the last few years though, so now I'm an all around music lover!!

Rock, Alternative, Classics, R&B, Rap, Country, Hip Hop, Dance, House Music, Techno, Disco (yes, that stuff), Kids, Christian, Reggae, Indie, Punk, Pop, Screamo, Metal, Inspirational, Operatic...seriously, everything!! Even music from other countries, in other languages - I don't have to understand the words, to understand and connect to a song. I love it all, and everything has it's place. I need it all.

What kinds of music do you like?

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Have you ever heard of these?  They're amazing!!  Bananas, chocolate chips, and warm muffins - what's not to love?

I'm not a huge banana fan, myself.  I get the occasional craving, but in general, I stick with berries and nuts.

I do, however love chocolate!  I've only found one mix of chocolate and bananas I've liked (we all love those, don't we?) but this is a good second.

To Ken, I like bananas a ton, so it's really saying something that he likes these muffins more than me.  He loves obsesses over adores them - go figure!

For those who may want to try this, here's a quick recipe.  It's super easy to make from scratch, and takes about 35 mins total.

Basics

~ Prep time: 15 mins

~ Cook time: 18 - 20 mins

~ Oven temp: 350 F

~Makes 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients

~ 1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

~ 1 1/2 Tsp baking soda

~ 3 TBsp sugar

(we recommend raw cane sugar for the best flavor)

~ 1/4 Tsp salt

~ 1 LG egg

~ 3 TBsp buttermilk

(you can substitute 3 tbsp regular milk and 1/4 tbsp lemon juice if need be)

~ 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) butter, melted

~ 2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

~ 1/2 Cup chocolate chips

--For the bananas: if they are large, it's best to use 2, otherwise it will be a very strong banana taste.  They should be pretty ripe - blackening, like ones you'd use for banana bread.

--For the chocolate chips: you can always add more if you'd like, depending on how chocolaty you want the muffins.
       **Be sure to stir and mix in the melted butter before you add the chocolate chips, otherwise half your chocolate will melt into the batter!

Directions

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Mix together lightly.

3) Melt the butter.

4) Add egg, butter, and buttermilk to the flour mixture.

5) Add bananas and mix together.

6) Coat muffin pan cups in butter/non-stick spray, or line with paper muffin cups.

7) Add chocolate chips.

8) Place in middle rack in pre-heated oven, and cook for 18 mins

(20 mins for cold oven).

Once they're fully cooked, remove from pan and place on cooling rack or serving tray.  

Serve, and enjoy!! 

Please Bear With Us...

Hiya guys. Hope your week is starting out well =)

Just wanted to post an update, cuz we've been getting some questions. We are migrating everything over to this blog, and are still working on setting up the new website. We've combined everything and are building it all back up.

Last year was crazy, and this year is starting off great!! Thank you all for your continued support and enthusiasm. We love hearing what you guys think, and seeing your amazing Lifestyles!!

Please stay tuned, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates & news!

Thanks!

The Desert Rose Team

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Simple Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon

Comfort food - we all love it, right? Sometimes, we just want something that tastes delicious, even if it's not *ahem* healthy, per se. Bacon, cheese, oil and mushrooms. Some would argue these ingredients are healthy, some would say they aren't. Really, we don't care =)

One of Ken's favorite comfort snacks after a hard day at work, is Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon.

If you're a fan of mushrooms, cheese and bacon, then this is the perfect snack for you. Super simple, super quick, and delicious =D

You can use whatever mushrooms you'd like - Ken typically uses Cremini, Shiitake, or Portobello, as they all easily hold cheese.

First, simply arrange however many mushrooms you'd like on a cookie sheet or pan. Wrap the mushrooms in bacon, or simply place the bacon around the mushrooms. The bacon grease will keep the mushrooms from sticking to the pan, or burning on the bottoms.

*Note: If you'd rather not use bacon, you can lightly cover the bottom of the cookie sheet or pan in olive oil instead.  This keeps the mushrooms from burning, sticking, or drying out while cooking.

The stems should be removed from the mushrooms, if you want them truly filled with cheese. Fill each mushroom with as much grated cheese as you'd like.

Once set, bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked/cheese is melted. Basically, until it looks good to you. 

Time is irrelevant honestly, because it all depends on how cooked you want the bacon, or how melted you want the cheese, etc. It's all personal preference, so just make whatever looks good to you ;) 

Enjoy!! =D

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" *Thoughts While Watching & Review*

Trust no one.

~Released: January 17th, 2014

~Director: Kenneth Branagh

~Writer: Adam Cozad, David Koepp, Tom Clancy

~Starring: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley

~Length: 105 Minutes

~Rating: PG-13

~Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller

Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

Happy 2016!

Hiya Guys! Hopefully your year is starting out awesome!

I wanted to write a quick post, and just say thank you for being here! We love building up the companies and services we have. I just know 2016 will be a wonderful year! =D

We hope to see you all this year, and grow with you all! We can't wait to meet new people, and see where life takes us next!

Thank you!! =D