Easy Impressive Homemade Lemon Bars

"It's like making weird scrambled eggs".....that are delicious, buttery, flaky, rich, creamy, sweet and sour, and so f***ing good! Literally, I impress myself when I make these (SO EASY)

Here's the full video:

https://youtu.be/hD1Xdgi81xA

Here's the full recipe:

Ingredients

• Crust:

• 1 cup butter, softened (1 stick salted/1 stick unsalted)

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon Filling:

• 4 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 and 3/4 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees Celsius).
2. 
   

1. In a big enough bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. 
2. 
   
3. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan (or 2 smaller pans if you're like me).
4. 
   

1. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and a pale-golden. 
2. 
   
3. In another bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
4. 
   

1. Bake for an additional 16-20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool.
2. 
   
3. Then cut into squares (or whatever shape you want) and devour!

Don't forget to send me a pic if you tried these out!! You can find me @ShamoyaKelly on Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter!

With love,

Shamoya

My Personal Mantras (For Keeping Me on Track for Long Term Goals - AKA SAVING MONEY)

Welcoming myself back, I thought I would share some personal mantras that I tell myself for keeping on track. This happens to be a question I get asked the most; they're more along the lines of "How do you keep your shit together?" or comments like "I wish I had your self control".

Here's the thing, I don't have self control and I recognize that which forces me to overcompensate. I'm one of those people who will go to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for dinner, even though I have some of the ingredients at home (because my logic is that I can use the rest later but then I never do because I always buy more). However, my wallet "be tellin me no-oh-oh" and I've had to force myself to do better because I have long term goals that I plan to achieve and I have to consciously work toward them.

I'm trying to do the "adulting" thing and it takes work, which involves me going "Hey girl (me to me), do you really need to buy 10 for 10 pasta? Because they are quite literally always 10 for 10 and you don't have the space. Put it down." Me to me again "But, what if I can't make it to the store again?" "You will." "Yeah but before I want pasta again?" "Girl, you have like 4 half opened boxes at home because you're one person." "Oh, shit, you're right. It's just the shape is not what I want it to be" *Internally gives myself side eye* "Really, bitch"....."Fine". 

Usually if I'm in a store staring at something for a long time or mosey-ing around the store, my internal dialogue is some semblance of that.  

I digressed.

Any who...you don't have to be as um internally rigorous - this is how I'll phrase that so I don't actually have to realize how much of a nutcase I'm becoming :) - you can use these mantras to remind yourself that you have long term goals you need to achieve; also known as mantras to remind you to save money because let's face it, there are only three things you need to achieve something: time, money, and self-discipline. Here's how I work towards getting the third and subsequently, the second, then first.

(after writing these, I realized some of them sound funny but no, this stuff is real for me!)

• Don't buy that. You don't need it, you have one of them already
• stopping myself from impulse buys
• They're going to go bad before you eat both, buy one.
• I'm a huge grocery/farmer's market person so like this is a big one
• Stop overthinking
• I already ate.
• I'm only spending $20 today and I spent $10 on gas, you don't need that croissant.
• Put it on a list and if you still want it in 40 hours, buy it then.
• "Treat yo self" okay but it has to be under $5 or free.
• go for a drive and blast Formation by the king! p.s. if you haven't heard this song, stop sleeping under a rock. 
• Go home and see if you have conditioner first before you buy a new bottle.
• Do you really need it?
• "Nigga (or bitch) you broke". (a quote from a friend)
• Yes, $.03 adds up
• You have bras, skip Adore Me this month
• If it's in your savings, don't touch it.
• Are you sure you're hungry? Drink a glass of water then take a nap and then let me know
• seriously but don't starve yourself
• Take ya ass home, you got food, alcohol, Netflix, and a bed there...that you payin for
• Turn off the lights in here, baby
• Don't forget to pay "" bill because that late fee gives you Sasha Fierce realness
• You don't need to bleach your hair again, grow it out and call it ombre.
• You're single, skip a wax or 9
• Walk and breathe, it's probably better for you anyway
• Deal with something stressful before it becomes stress
• You really only need 6 hours of sleep and 2 hours of me time, apply for that part time job
• Be real with an acquaintance, tell them that you're not looking to take on any friends right now.
• Say no to the bourbon and get water.
• Wait
• Yes MD is quick but you know you really don't want it, get some water and hold out.
• YOU'RE BROKE, STAHHHHP
• You have prime, why are you going to the mall
• Old Navy is great but only go to the store to buy clearance or try on clothes to later purchase online...also they never have tall in the store, only long
• Go talk to them, converse...it's free.
• Great, you saved $15 today, that you can save again tomorrow.

If you realize this stuff is too much, at least let it help you in guiding your choices. Remember, these are my personal things, they don't have to be yours.

Thank you for reading! Also, if you have something, comment below! I'm always looking for more funny things.

Best,

Shamoya

Life Is Like A Pack Of Starbursts

This will either resonate with you and you'll think I'm some type of genius or delude you to think that I'm a product of my 6am lack of sleep thoughts...or both, which I hope is what you get from this and also a new outlook on life (as far as I'm concerned, this is completely original).


Hey so the title of this post "LIFE IS LIKE A PACK OF STARBURSTS"

Well what does that mean?

My target audience for this to resonate with are those in some type of tertiary school.
We're all looking for a job, we are the starbursts. We a constantly waiting for a consumer to open up the lucky pack and find us. Those consumers are the companies we're hoping to hire us.


Yes, I know that starbursts are incapable of going out there and getting the job themselves but let's disregard for right now because as much as we want to think that's the way the world always works, it  sometimes doesn't. If the consumers don't want to eat us, we're not going to get eaten. We'll dry up, get hard and end up at the bottom of the bag that is society, old and inedible.

Good so far? Consumers=companies, starbursts=us


We have these different special packs of starbursts, like the sour ones or the slushies. Each special pack is a type of school (private, ivy-league) or original (traditional public) etc.

You get where I'm going with this?

You have some of these companies that are super picky consumers, they only want blue sour starbursts, that's it. If you're not one of these, they're not going to eat you. So much so that they constantly buy all of these sour blue starbursts that just in case they eat one, they have one to replace it.


With that said, even though consumers open up an original pack and fight over the reds and the pinks, there are consumers that are searching for the yellows and oranges, so don't give up if you're being fought over. Keep shining bright like the sun and a consumer will come along and eat you up.

This was probably really half-assed and I'm sure you can detect that but my brain made it really convoluted and I tried to simplify it for this post. The point was to make sure you know not to try and change your color but stand firm, shine bright, and someone will come along searching for you and only you.

A Visit to the White House

Yesterday I had the most amazing experience. I was able to visit the White House, not just the east wing but the west wing as well. It was so awe inspiring, I saw the oval office, sat in the president's chair -not his chair in the oval office- (SERIOUSLY, it was so comfy), and got to meet some amazing people. Sadly, photos aren't allowed in the West Wing so I don't have any of those to share but I've been having so much fun during this trip to D.C that I wanted to share some of it with you. Hopefully, it will inspire you to make a trip and see our capital in a new light.

I went with my sister, she made the whole thing happen and it was fabulously perfect. I am so grateful she gave us this opportunity.

I will post another post with sights that I got to see and tips about where to go and when!

I had to. It's iconic

This was just outside the West Wing

THIS. THIS.

DO YOU KNOW WHO ONCE STOOD HERE AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS

#POTUSPleaseAnswerMe

Olivia Pope, who?

Goals

This was so Awe-ful

The architecture in this building

The detail

Simply put

Amazing

All original work

My sister and I. She set the whole thing up #grateful 

We took it on, together

We had to...

Way to much of a Yonce stan
(Outside the West Wing)

Not to put a damper but we succeeded.
(We couldn't take photos inside but it was magical)

I was so stunned by the view

The view from Eisenhower Exec. Office Building

Goodbye

Thank you for coming on the journey with me, I encourage you to experience it yourself. I can't wait to see some more of D.C but until then, a good ole American see you later and thank you!



***all photos are personal***

A Note About Love

I sat here staring at this empty post and every time I'd start writing I would sit there, look at it, then immediately delete it. I kept starting over because I wanted to sit here and define love and talk about my experience but it kept sounding like one of those cliché girls who look for those pre-conceived ideas of love portrayed by mass-media and call it love. 

I think I've been falling in love and it scares me, if you've been there, you know what I mean. There are so many pros and cons that you have to think about when you're in love. Don't get me wrong, I know that we're told that if you're in love with someone then there aren't any questions or concerns and if there are then you aren't really in love.

Yeah...I don't believe that, here's why. (Wait, I guess I am telling you about love and my definition)

I think that as a society we romanticize love in the sense that love is this big thing with sparks and you immediately know at first sight. Love can be romantic (the idealization meaning of the word) but you definitely shouldn't wear rose colored glasses because that's not healthy. They mask everything, they don't allow you to question yourself, the person, and the reasons why you love them and I honestly feel like that is a healthy part of being in love with someone. I'm not saying question them with an underlying air of doubt but question them to know them. 

I'm not talking about the what are your hopes and dreams or what is your favourite colour type of questions but questions that aren't necessarily verbal.

I say this because there are few beliefs I have that are never-changing and one of them is that actions speak louder than words. This can relate to so many different areas of life but for me it always applies particularly to my relationships. 

What I mean is that someone can constantly say they love you but if their actions don't show it, get out..get out now. -tangent, I'm sorry-

Go into a relationship with questioning eyes. Look at what your partner does and question it, continuously ask why and only ask why verbally when you really don't understand their motives. FYI people are fucking weird and sometimes we do weird shit for no reason.

But you'll begin to open them up. You'll see their chapters begin to unfold and show themselves to you. Study the things they do, the words they say. You will love them more for it, trust me and the answers to the questions will help them more than it helps you.

I'll tell you why I wrote all of this. I was having a conversation with my partner in crime and we were talking about what we know about each other. I was asking him questions about myself that I've never told him answers to and the same to me. It was weird because he never failed to answer a question incorrectly and that's when it hit me, it is about someone who cares enough to question your actions to understand your motives, never verbally asking you why but somehow figures out the answers and still sticks around. Someone who takes the time to pay attention to details that you probably don't even notice yourself.

I'll never forget what he said, he told me that the more time he spends around me, the more he falls in love. You have to get to know someone to fall in love with them, loving them is easy enough but falling in love is different, it's messy, it's passionate, it's worth it. Maybe this in it of itself is a romanticization of love but I think the point I'm trying to get across is that the person you love isn't an angel, they have flaws and you love them for that and more. I honestly feel like you can only do that by getting to know their raw selves and to do that you stick around them long enough to learn.

It's getting to know someone so well that they don't have to explain to them how you take your coffee, they've just been around you long enough and understand your taste buds well enough to make an educated and probably accurate guess. 

Take this as something to think about, I don't know if this is what I'll believe in a year from now but this is what I see in being loved and loving back. Let me know your thoughts, I hope this wasn't confusing.

Merry Christmas!

-Shamoya-

Blupdate (BuzzFeed Clean Eating Challenge)

Hey lovls!

 Guess what, I did not make it through the buzzfeed clean eating challenge. I will tell you why, I have a good excuse, I promise. See what had happened was.....

I ended up in the hospital from terrible "something" poising. It might have been food poising but I highly doubt that, although it could have been because it happened right after the day I cheated for a work dinner. I don't know, I got sick. I missed work for a few days, couldn't eat solid food for about 28 hours, it was terrible. After that catastrophe, I tried to get back on to the challenge but I ended up missing a few days, so I just used the left over ingredients to make " clean eating inspired meals".

I did this because I knew that I was leaving for a Florida road trip a few days later. (This was around 4th of July). Then I came home, went to work the week after and left for Arkansas the following thursday, came back and now we're here, a few days later. It was just hectic time and I hope that in the future, I can make myself try it again, and allot proper time to completing it.


Here are some tips I can give you.

Stick to the plan, if you get hungry, drink a glass of water and if you're still hungry after that have a snack.

Make sure to keep an accurate journal of what you ate and liked vs. didn't like. It helps when you want to remember stuff to keep up eating clean.

I will say that I did get a few things from this challenge, how easy it is to pack and carry lunch from home, as well as to do meal prep on Sundays or an allotted day of the week.


Hope you enjoyed and I'll be back to blogging now, I'm finally home and settled (for a couple weeks, until I move back to school and start College 101 again)

Day 2 Clean Eating Challenge

Bonjour à tous!
Non, on ne parle pas Francais? D'accord....
Bienvenue a Day 3 of the Clean Eating Challenge.



Before I even start, let me just put this out there, I did not succeed today. I got super hungry today and didn't have anything besides ritz and peanut butter....I gorged man. It happened but it's okay, at least I didn't eat it just to eat it but because I was hungry and there was nothing else.


Everything else I stuck to, it was nice.

Breakfast? It was the overnight oats and I was kind of hesitant but it was delicious!!!
I prepared it the night before (aka I finally learned to follow directions)
I made it in the container, it looked like this 

I put it in the bowl and added at tad bit more honey.


Then lunch was the salad, sadly, I didn't have fennel so I just had the chickpeas, kale, quinoa, I added a tad bit of chicken to compensate :) and mint with the orange vinaigrette. It was delicious!!!!



My snack was amazing, again no feta so I just had tomatoes, balsamic and basil.
Pro-Tip 1: Buy in bulk at Whole Foods. It's much cheaper and better quality.
I spent 12 bucks at whole foods and bought all my grains/seeds/nuts (quinoa, lentils, flax, almonds, pistachios, chia seeds etc.) and my honey and vinegars.

Did you know whole foods sells balsamic vinegar, I only bought what I need and it was like $.50 
you fill up the jar with what you need and buy it!
But yes, that was my lunch, the balsamic was 12 years old and viscous and amazing.




Dinner was the napa cabbage wraps, super fresh and amazing. I used the frozen mango that was supposed to be for breakfast because when BF gave prep directions, they left 1/4 of the mango unaccounted for, so I ate it.....not knowing it should have been used for this meal. So I'll head to the grocery and pick myself another mango before Saturday!
Again, I had all the ingredients, the dish was super fresh and amazing.

I will say that I did use a previous pro-tip. I put the lime dressing ingredients in the mason jar and shook, I also did not use 1/4 of a cup of oil, I used maybe 2 tablespoons.


and it was yummy in my tummy like this



I didn't have my 2 clementines, this is when I had the ritz and peanut butter. I was out and I have a ton of excuses but it is what it was.

See you tomorrow. (Also, I just uploaded a youtube video about a cool thing, check it out here)



Thanks for keeping up with Shamoya