Author: Holly Stump

If I learned anything from binge watching episodes of Barefoot Contessa with my friend Caitlyn in college, it is that you can enhance certain flavors by adding particular ingredients. I remember a specific episode where she talked about chocolate and the one thing that really brings out the richness of it – coffee. Mmm, chocolate and coffee. Two of my biggest loves.

That being said, something you should know about me is that I can never just leave a recipe alone. I always feel compelled to adapt the ingredients to make it exactly what I want. This could mean taking things out, adding things, substituting one vegetable for another, etc. A recipe is rarely ever written just right, and like most recipes, I took this Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding recipe and adjusted it to my taste. Yes, you could absolutely keep it just two ingredients, but I think my additions make this chocolaty dessert just a little more special.

I personally really like this little treat. My husband wasn’t crazy about it, but I think he was expecting a velvety smooth “Snack Pack” type texture, and that’s just not what you get with this. I think the fat in the coconut milk sets a little when it’s chilled, so if you have any tips for getting a smooth, pudding like texture with coconut milk, please share!! I am going to do a little research and try a few more methods, but for the mean time, here’s what I’ve come up with! Also, if your taste buds are used to a lot of sugar, this may not be sweet enough for you. For me, this is a perfect dessert to kick my sweet tooth and cure my chocolate cravings.

Ingredients:

1 can full fat coconut milk
5 oz dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa, the higher the better if you are watching your sugar/carbs)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp brewed coffee (preferably at room temperature)
Pinch of salt
Stevia drops (if desired)
Fresh berries (optional, but highly recommended!)

Combine all ingredients except for the berries in a saucepan on low heat, whisking constantly until melted and combined. Pour into a glass container or individual ramekins and cover. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Serve chilled with fresh berries on top!

Y’all, Jennings has the most amazing blue eyes that I couldn’t wait to play with! For this look, I focused on the color wheel and chose a neutral eye shadow with a reddish pink undertone with a little shimmer to make her eyes really pop. This look will look good on literally anyone – any skin tone, eye color, eye shape, etc. and is super simple for every day. It is crazy easy and I used only ONE EYE SHADOW. For reals. I already know this is going to be my go to look for this fall when I want to get out the door quickly.

When selecting a color to use on yourself for this look, I urge you to take a peek at the color wheel. Find your eye color and look across the wheel to find the most complimenting shade. If you select a neutral shade with an undertone that compliments your eye color, it will really accentuate them. If you have brown eyes, select a bronze or purple undertone to make your eyes pop.

Side note: I asked for your opinions on Instagram stories, and some of you wanted a product list and some of you wanted to know how exactly I accomplished the look. So I decided I would write exactly what I did with links to all the products so you can click to check each item out. I don’t make a dime on the links you’re clicking on, it’s only there for your convenience.

Here’s what I did:

1) Prepped the skin with Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream.
2) I applied Physicians Formula Healthy Foundation in LN3 all over and then blended it in with a damp Morphe Beauty Sponge. (To dampen, put the sponge under running water and squeeze several times until the sponge is saturated. Turn water off and squeeze the water out as much as you can with your hands, then one more squeeze into a hand towel. You want the sponge damp, not dripping.)
3) Dotted Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond and Colourpop No Filter Matte Concealer under the eyes and blended it out with the Morphe sponge in a triangular shape. Then I tapped whatever was remaining on the sponge along the center of the nose, chin, and middle of the forehead to brighten things up. (You do not need both concealers to accomplish this…I don’t have every color of concealer under the sun, so I combine the colors I have to create the most flattering shade for my clients.)
4) Immediately set the under eyes and t-zone with Cover FX Perfecting Translucent Powder with an M438 brush from Morphe.
5) With a Morphe R2, I applied Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer along the hairline and just under the cheek bones and blended up for a soft contour/bronze effect.
6) For blush, I used a Morphe E4 brush to apply Tarte Risque and Hourglass Luminous Flush on the tops of the cheeks.
7) To highlight, I applied a mixture of Mary Lou-minizer from the Balm and Essence Pure Nude to the tops of the cheeks, tip of the nose and chin with a Morphe M509.
8) Using a smudging brush, I applied the shade S.B.N. from the Jaclyn Hill Palette all over the lid and slightly above the crease to create a gentle gradient. Then with a small flat concealer brush, I took more of the same color and smudged it under the bottom lash line all the way across. Not too heavy in the inner corner though!
9) I applied a thin line of Ardency Inn Liner (any black kohl liner will do) tightly across the upper lash line. Then with a flat definer brush, I smudged the liner upwards to smoke it out.
10) I used Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Definer in Medium Brown and set them with Tarte Busy Gal Brows also in Medium Brown.
11) For the lashes, I curled them and used Essence 18 hr Volume Mascara for the top lashes and Pixi by Petra Lower Lash Mascara for the bottom.
12) We tried two shades from the e.l.f. Runway Ready Lip Palette. First the 2nd shade from the left and we decided it was a little bright for the beginning of fall, so we took that off and applied the 3rd shade.
13) All set with the Morphe Continuous Setting Mist.

Keep an eye out in a couple of weeks because Jennings and I are getting together again so I can create a more dramatic look on her. I can’t wait to do a side by side comparison!!

I never thought I could live without carbs, especially fruit. I’ve never overindulged in pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, refined sugar, etc. I ate everything in moderation, so I didn’t really understand why I was not losing weight regardless of my consciousness about what I put in my mouth and going to the gym regularly. Elliot decided to do keto while he was away for a course for a few weeks and told me how great it was and how successful he was at losing weight eating that way. I literally turned up my nose, said he was crazy and went on eating all the things I liked in relatively small portions. But like I said, I still couldn’t understand why I wasn’t seeing the scale move or my body change very much.

Fast forward a few months, I was still feeling frustrated with my ever-tightening pants and my husband was away again. I researched keto a bit and happened to bring it up to a friend of mine. She said she had been doing it for a while and really encouraged me to give it a try. She recommended that I take a quick free online course to learn what exactly keto is, its benefits, and how to calculate my macros and grocery shop so that I could be successful. I told myself I would just give it a try and if I didn’t like this way of eating I would just stop. I didn’t ease into it at all, I just made the decision one day, jumped in head first and I have never looked back.

I lost 4 lbs in just a few days and although I knew that was just water weight, it kept me very motivated. It took me around 8-10 weeks to go from 146 lbs to 130 lbs and being comfortable in a size 6 jeans to now wearing a size 2. I still wear my 4s, but I’m constantly pulling on them. WHAT A GOOD FEELING after hating my muffin top for months! This change came solely from the way I was eating. I had surgery on the bottom of my foot and I could barely walk on it, much less hit the gym. I have only recently added exercise back into my routine and am now on my second week of Burn Boot Camp. I am anxious to see what adding exercise will do for my body composition. At this point, I am satisfied with the number on the scale, but I would like to trade some of my fat for muscle.

Final Thoughts on Keto:

I don’t feel that insatiable starving feeling that I used to feel and I definitely don’t feel deprived. I also don’t like that many people think of keto and assume that people who eat that way just shove bacon and butter in their mouth all day. I’m certain you COULD do it that way, but it definitely wouldn’t be very healthy. My meals consist of protein, veggies and healthy fats – and yes, a little cheese, butter and bacon too, but they are not my primary sources of nutrition.

I thought I would miss carbs and sugar, but I’ve found that a piece of 85% cocoa chocolate and 2-3 strawberries satisfies my sweet tooth now that my taste buds are not used to having any sugar. I have not been completely perfect for 3 months (HELLO, DISNEY WORLD!), but I’ve been consistent overall. I also like that you can also have a glass of wine or two and not totally blow it. It’s all about having a plan!

I wish I had taken better before & after photos to show my progress, but I feel like these will give you a pretty good idea. I know I can definitely see a difference in these pictures.

Before:

That selfie with my girls was taken on Mother’s Day and I remember thinking, “Gosh, does my face actually look that puffy in real life?”

After (trying on size 26/2 jeans at Madewell was so exciting!):

It’s been a very long time since I felt this comfortable in my own skin and I’m excited to see even more change as I add exercise back into my life. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as I progress!