What’s Been and What’s to Come

The pin that’s helping me on my next adventure

First off I would like to say hello to all of my new followers! I can’t believe that I actually have people on here following me, crazy! But I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the great support so far. I had an awesome time doing my week of recipes and was so surprised with how well everything turned out it’s something I’m going to keep up with a once a week recipe.

However, I am going to put a bit of a spin on this. In May I had to have reconstructive surgery on my knee because of a torn ACL. Since I’m almost done with my rehab I decided it would be the perfect time to do something bold. So, I’m going to begin training for a half-marathon! I actually kind of started a little this week just to make sure my body could handle it. But in the spirit of my blog, everything I do for this is going to be from Pinterest!

I have pulled a training plan from Pinterest which is the basis of my daily workouts. The pin I pulled it from can be found here. Along with this my diet is something that definitely needs to change. So the recipes I put on here every week won’t be nasty no taste recipes that no one would have any desire to eat. But instead I’m going to look for the best healthy recipes or even turn ones I love into a healthier version.

I hope y’all are as excited about this as I am and stick around through this journey with me. Hopefully my knee won’t fall off or anything. It will probably just feel like it! Wish me luck
Mere

A Week of Recipes (Day 7): Angel Food Cake

The pin that inspired this post!

Okay, so I knew from the start that this recipe was going to be the death of me and I was pretty much right. The only reason I actually made this is because one of my friends requested it. But I will definitely make it again because I want to get it perfect!

If you are new to baking, I will warn that this recipe has to be done right or the whole thing will turn out to be a disaster… Like my first attempt did. So, follow the instructions closely!

I did add my own twist by making it holiday friendly and covering the entire thing with Cool Whip that had food dye in it and chocolate chips in order to make it look like a pumpkin.

The pin I got this idea from can be found here!

How much it cost:
Eggs: $1.77 for a dozen
Cream of tartar: $1.89
Almond Extract: $1.00
Cool Whip: $2.88
Chocolate Chips (one bag): $2.39

Total: $9.93
Make sure you have the correct pan to make this sort of cake as well or else that will add to your total. Luckily we had one around the house! Also, I think my total was a lot smaller because I didn’t use fruit like the original pin shows. There just isn’t a lot of fruit that I like that’s in season right now.

How long it takes:
About an hour and 15 minutes in all, but this does include 30 minutes for bake time. I will say this recipe does take patience, you can’t rush the steps especially when it comes to the mixing process (probably why this was just not a good idea from the start for me).

What you need!

What you need:
1 cup cake flour
7/8 cup sugar plus 3/4 cup sugar
12 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

How to do it:
1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Measure the cake flour and 7/8 cup sugar into a bowl; sift together. Set aside.
3) Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and almond extract into the bowl of an electric mixer; beat on medium speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Note: In order to get just the egg whites, lightly crack the egg and pour the yolk back and forth between the two halves until all the white/clear liquid is in your bowl.
Note: I had to beat it on a faster speed than medium but my mixer is pretty old. And this might be where the impatience comes in but it just wasn’t doing anything at medium.

Mix until you see folds in the batter

4) Slowly add the 3/4 cup sugar, beating on medium-high speed until combined.
5) Reduce speed to low; slowly mix in the flour-sugar mixture just until incorporated.
6) Gently spoon batter into a 10-inch aluminum tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a butter knife.
Note: This breaks up any air bubbles in the batter
7) Here is where I varied from the recipe and sprinkled chocolate chips on the top of the batter, which of course becomes the bottom of the cake
8) Bake until top of cake is golden brown and crusty, and top springs back when lightly touched, 30 to 40 minutes.
9) Remove cake from oven; turn pan upside down. Let stand until completely cool, about 1 1/2 hours.
Note: I didn’t turn my pan upside down immediately because I wanted to let my chocolate chips cool a bit.

Let cool

10) While the cake is cooling add two drops of orange and two drops of yellow food coloring to your Cool Whip and stir
11) When your cake has cooled and been placed on your serving platter, fill the middle with Cool Whip and ice the top of it. Then add the chocolate chips, fruit, or whatever topping you decide you want!

Add chocolate chips for a fun design!

Nice and fluffy!

Overall I really liked how this recipe turned out once it actually turned out. I’m not going to lie, I had to make it twice to get it to turn out like this and I still don’t think it ended up how it was supposed to. But I will definitely be working on this some more and post back as to what works better and what doesn’t. I loved it with the chocolate chips; I think they just gave it a little bit more. Definitely make this on a day when you have time to be patient and take your time in the steps. Let me know how y’all do!

A Week of Recipes (Day 6): Peanut Butter Pie

The pin that inspired this post

This is a recipe I don’t think I could be more obsessed with. I actually sought this one out on Pinterest, most of the time I just searched recipes and food but I specifically wanted a peanut butter pie because I love them and wanted to see if I could make one.

I’m not going to lie I was surprised how well this turned out and how easy it was to do! Everyone at worked loved it too and could not believe it was my first time making it, so be sure to try this one if you’re a peanut butter lover like me!

The origional pin can be found here.

How much it cost:
Pie Crust: $1.67
Hot Fudge: $2.99
Caramel Topping: $2.79
Cool Whip: $3.35
Cream Cheese: $2.17

Total: $12.97
Overall I don’t think it’s a bad price, the pie serves at least 8 people depending on how big the slices are. So that’s about $1.63 a slice. The topping are what make this so expensive but you have plenty left-over for another time.

How long it takes:
This recipe did not take me long at all. Just leave the cream cheese out a bit before you make it in order to soften it and make sure you put your Cool Whip into the fridge so that it isn’t frozen. Total time to make it though was about 20 minutes.

What you need!

Ingredients:
1 pre-made Oreo cookie pie crust (I just used a chocolate one)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
16o. (1 larger tub) Cool Whip
1-11.75oz jar hot fudge topping, divided
Caramel topping

How to do it:
1) Beat together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar until well combined.
2) Fold in 3 cups cool whip
3) Spread mixture evenly over pie crust.

Peanut butter filling

4) Reserving 2 Tablespoons, heat the remaining hot fudge sauce in the microwave for 1 minute, or until smooth and spreadable.
5) Spread sauce over peanut butter pie filling and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Hot Fudge layer

6) Just before serving, spread remaining cool whip on top of the hot fudge sauce layer, then drizzle with reserved hot fudge and caramel sauce.
7) Take the end of the spoon you used to drizzle the sauce and run it through the Cool Whip to create the design.
8) Place in the freezer for a few minutes in order to allow the hot fudge to cool so your Cool Whip doesn’t melt.

The finished pie!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I did. It is definitely sacrificing and in taking a few more calories for this, I promise. The only thing I would have changed about the recipe is that it tells you to top with the Cool Whip and you’re ready to serve but I would put it in the fridge or the freezer for a little bit longer just to make sure your Cool Whip isn’t melting from the topping. Enjoy!

A Week of Recipes (Day 5): Cherry Coke Cupcakes

The pin that inspired this recipe

Cherry-Coke cupcakes… Need I say more? Talk about combining all the best things in life into one! And they really weren’t very difficult to make. If you’re used to baking then you can definitely pull these together no problem. If you’re just starting out, it might seem like a lot of steps but don’t get overwhelmed! It’s easy I promise.

The origional pin for this recipe can be found here

How much it cost:
Cocoa: $2.56
Cherries: (two jars) $2.69 a piece
Butter: $2.79
Coke: $1.50
Whipping Cream: $2.29
Butter milk: $1.59

Total: $16.11
Note it does make 16 cupcakes, so that’s a dollar a piece.

How long it took:
Once you get the batter made it really doesn’t take that long because you can get the glaze and topping made while the cupcakes are baking in the oven. They only took about an hour!

What you need

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup Coca-Cola
¼ cup maraschino cherry juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Maraschino cherries, stem-less

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. Coca-Cola

For topping:
2/3 cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. powdered sugar
Maraschino cherries

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350° F
2) Line a muffin pan with foil or paper liners.
3) In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside.

4) In the bowl use a mixer to combine the sugar and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Than continue by mixing in the egg until incorporated.

5) In a bowl combine the buttermilk, Coke, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract; stir to combine.
Note: This mixture looks pretty gross, but it’s supposed to I promise.

It might look gross, but it’s right!

6) Alternate mixing the dry and liquid ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture on low speed, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.

Batter ready to pour

7) Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
8) Drop 4 or 5 stem-less maraschino cherries into each cupcake well and push them down into the batter.
Note: I only put two in each cupcake. I think three is definitely the maximum that you should put into it. If there were any more I feel like the cherry taste would have been too overwhelming.
9) Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:
1) Combine the confectioners’ sugar and Coke in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2) Spoon or drizzle a small amount of the top of each cupcake. Allow to set.

The glaze

Glazed cupcakes

For the topping:
1) Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and use a mixer to begin whipping on medium speed, slowly adding the confectioners’ sugar and gradually increasing the speed to high as the cream holds soft peaks. Whip until the cream holds stiff peaks, being careful not to overbeat.
2) Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cupcakes and top each with a maraschino cherry.

Finished cupcakes! I left a few unfrosted for those who don’t like icing

Yummy cupcakes!

And there you have it yummy cupcakes. I will say that the original recipe didn’t understand why there was a glaze with these as well as a whipped topping, but to me the glaze adds just a little bit more Coke flavor to the recipe because it isn’t very strong in the cupcake itself. I also didn’t use as many cherries in the actual cupcake because it seemed like there wouldn’t actually be any cupcake to bite into. I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did; I will definitely be making them again!

A Week of Recipes (Day 4): Braided Spaghetti Bread

The pin that inspired this!

So I don’t think words can describe to you how excited I was about this recipe. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I have always loved spaghetti or the fact that I probably have a bread addiction. But if you suffer from either of these conditions, then this is the recipe for you!

You can find the original pin that inspired this recipe here

How much it cost:
Whole Wheat Pasta: $1.29
Bread Dough: $4.29 for 5 pieces so really $0.85 for this recipe
Mozzarella Cheese: $2.39

Total: $4.53
Note that I already had the spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese because of the crispy zucchini recipe so I didn’t include them in my total because they are in those. This also serves about 6 which is great!

How long it took:
This recipe took about an hour only because the bake time for the bread is 35 minutes and you need another 10 minutes to boil the water and cook the pasta. Other than that, actually rolling out the dough and adding the toppings doesn’t take long at all.

What you need!

Ingredients:
1 Loaf of bread dough (unthawed)
6 oz. spaghetti (cooked)
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 oz. mozzarella cheese (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 egg white (I substituted this for butter because my lovely roommate used all the eggs the day before)
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes
Garlic Powder (The original recipe didn’t call for this but I added it)

How to do it:
1) Spray counters lightly with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper).
Note: I sprayed the baking sheet that I planned on using to bake it on
2) Roll loaf into a 12×16-inch rectangle, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle

3) While that is resting cook your spaghetti noodles and drain.
4) Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough and add the sauce and cheese cubes.

Add the noodles, sauce, and cheese chunks!

5) Make cuts 1 ½-inch apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling.
6) Begin braid by folding the strips on either end toward your filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.
Note: I didn’t really braid mine but instead brought the pieces up to meet each other and connected them to the strips before.

The braided dough

7) Lift braid with both hands and place on large sprayed baking sheet. (or transfer parchment paper to baking sheet). Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Note: Since I already had mine on the pan I intended to bake on I didn’t have to worry about transferring it. I also substituted the egg for melted butter and then sprinkled garlic powder onto it and then added the cheese and parsley.
8) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

And there you have it, a great dinner!

I loved this recipe! And I definitely think adding the butter and garlic powder gave it just a little more flavor. You could also add some sort of meat into it too for a little more flavor. I will definitely be making this again though because it really wasn’t hard it all it just took a little prep time and thinking to thaw the dough ahead of time. And trust me; it tastes as good as it looks!

A Week of Recipes (Day 3): Spicy Parmesan Shrimp

The pin that inspired this

So we’ve covered breakfast and a snack, now it’s dinner time. I was really excited about this recipe because one it just looks delicious and two, it’s got shrimp in it!

I think the word spicy in this recipe is a little deceiving because it wasn’t very spicy. However, I didn’t marinade my shrimp for too long so I’m sure that could have affected it a little bit.

The pin I origionally got this from can be seen here

How much it cost:
Garlic: $0.79
Pasta: $1.29
Shrimp (1 lb.): $10.99
Parmesan Cheese: $1.99 (I used this for the zucchini too though)
Red Pepper Flakes: $1.00

I already had the soy sauce and olive oil at home

Total: $16.06
Now I know this looks pretty expensive but my roommate and I both had one serving and there was still plenty leftover. So you’re getting at least four servings out of one recipe which equals about $4 a plate. And anything like this in a restaurant would be much more.

How long it took:
This was a fairly quick recipe. I thawed my shrimp while I was creating the marinade, cook time for the pasta was about 10 min. including letting the water boil, and cooking the shrimp only took a few minutes as well. If you don’t include the time you let the shrimp marinade this recipe only takes about 25 minutes.

What you need

Ingredients:
1 lb. Raw Peeled and Deveined Shrimp
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 cups uncooked Whole Wheat Penne
Sliced Green Onions for topping (I used Parsley Flakes)

How to do it:
1) Whisk olive oil, parmesan, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes together.

Whisk and add to shrimp

2) Put your shrimp into a large Ziploc bag, pour marinade in as well, then seal bag and shake to coat.

Pour marinade and shrimp into bag, seal and shake!

3) Place in the fridge to marinate for your desired amount of time.
4) When you’re ready to finish preparing, cook penne according to directions.
5) While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and marinade (just dump the entire contents of the bag into the skillet), then cook shrimp until pink (about 4 min total)

Cook shrimp for about 4 minutes

6) When the shrimp is finished, add penne into the skillet and toss to coat completely.
7) Top with additional parmesan cheese and sliced green onions, and then serve. (I substituted Parsley flakes in for the green onions because they weren’t on the original ingredients list and it needed just a little pop of color.)

Ready to serve

Overall this was a great recipe that I really loved. I will definitely be making it again because it was easy to do and tasted great. It’s very light which is nice, I never really like anything that is sauced too heavily. If you aren’t a shrimp fan I don’t see why chicken couldn’t be added in instead. The marinade it great and will go with anything. Happy cooking!

A Week of Recipes (Day 2): Baked Crispy Zucchini Parmesan Fries

The pin that inspired this post

Day 2 is here and it’s time to move onto a Pinterest snack! I was really excited about this one because I am definitely a snacker so I’m always looking for a healthy option. These zucchini fries are the perfect solution, especially since they’re baked.

The pin for these can be found here, http://pinterest.com/pin/136867276147039870/

How much it cost:
Marinara Sauce: $2.07
Eggs: $1.77
Breadcrumbs: $3.99
Zucchini: $3.99 (for 3)

Total: $11.82
Keep in mind there are enough breadcrumbs for at least two of these recipes and the eggs were for a dozen and you only need one, maybe two for the recipe depending on how much you bread the zucchini and how many you’re using.

How long it takes:
It did take a bit longer than I would have liked to make these especially since they’re a snack. But overall it took about 35 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 zucchini
Flour
Paprika
Garlic Powder
One Egg (the original recipe called for one but I used two)
Panko Breadcrumbs (I used the Parmesan ones)
Parmesan Cheese

How to do it:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2) Slice the zucchini into thin slices

Cut zucchini

3) Mix the some flour with paprika and garlic powder
Note: Don’t be too specific with the amounts
4) Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and a little more paprika and garlic powder
Note: Again don’t be too specific with the amounts

All the mixtures and the egg

5) Roll the slices in the flour mixture, dip them in egg and then put them onto a baking sheet

After the first mixture

6) Bake for 10 minutes take out and flip over and bake for another 10 minutes

Bake for 10 min, on each side

7) Take out let cool and serve with marinara on the side!

The finished product!

Overall I really loved this recipe but I will say it did take a pretty long time to make this for it being a snack. I will definitely be making it again though!

A Week of Recipes (Day 1): Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Ring

The pin that inspired this post.

So I’m back for another week and this time I’m covering a topic that I know everyone loves… food! Pinterest is full of recipes ranging from breakfast to dinner, snacks to desert, and healthy to not even close.

For my first recipe I decided to cover the first meal of the day, breakfast. But I don’t want you to feel like this recipe is confined to just the morning because no one loves breakfast for dinner more than I do.

This one caught my eye because it combines everything I love about breakfast (minus pancakes) into one meal! But hey, you can always add some pancakes or waffles on the side. It’s also a great recipe because once you get the concept of it down, you can easliy make it your own. Spice it up and make a Spanish style ring if you want to.

You can find the pin I used for this recipe here, http://pinterest.com/pin/136867276147040139/

How much it cost:
Eggs: $1.77 for a dozen
Turkey Bacon: $2.61
Crescents: $2.99
Shredded Colby Cheese: $1.99
Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese: $1.99
Season Salt: $1.00

Total: $12.35
Keep in mind that all the ingredients above are actually enough to make two rings except you would have to buy another can of crescent rolls. And one ring can serve 8 people, especially if it’s served with fruit, yogurt, or anyother item you might want to add.

What you need.

Ingredients:
1 can of crescent rolls
5 large eggs scrambled
1 cup of shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack Cheese
8 slices of cooked bacon (I used Turkey Bacon)
1 teaspoon of Season Salt

Note: I also needed milk for my recipe because I put a little in with my eggs when I scramble them.

How long it takes:
Overall this is fairly fast and easy once you’ve scrambled the eggs and cooked your bacon. Those two things just take a little bit of prep time so it ended up taking about 30 min.

Directions:
1) Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
2) Scramble your eggs and cook the bacon.
3) Lay out crescents on a parchment lined pizza pan in a star formation keeping the thicker end towards the middle and the pointed end facing out.

Lay them out with the pointed ends facing out.

4) Place the cooked bacon on each crescent roll.

Lay your bacon over each roll

5) Top with about 1/3 of the cheese, scrambled eggs, season salt, and remaining cheese.

Cover with cheese, your eggs, seasoning, and cheese again.

6) Fold the pointed tips of each crescent over the filling and press all the points down in the center of the ring, sealing them together.

Fold all the ends into the center.

7) Bake the ring for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.
8) Allow to cool. Slice in-between each crescent to make 8 individual pieces, plate and serve!

Cut and serve!

Overall I really enjoyed this recipe. However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the season salt. I think part of that dislike is the fact that my turkey bacon gave it a smoky and salty flavor and the season salt did the exact same thing, creating too much of one flavor. Also, it was a bit hard to just eat it with a fork because the turkey bacon doesn’t crumble like real bacon does. So I suggest using turkey sausage and adding it in with your scrambled eggs or cutting up the turkey bacon before adding it to the ring. Other than those minor issues it was great and I will definitely be using it in the future!

A Week of Hair (Day 7): My Own Creation

My Pinterest creation!

Okay, so I know I’m a little late with this last post but that’s the hazard of working with other people’s hair instead of my own!

I was also having a hard time coming up with something to do for my very last hair post. I’ve loved everything I’ve done so far and I felt like all of my last pin ideas for today, didn’t really compare. So after alot of thinking, I thought, why not create my own pin and have this post be the link on Pinterest. This way I will be incorporating everything I have learned throughout the week, as well as using Pinterest in a new way.

So thank you again to Darci for letting me use her hair! And I hope y’all enjoy my last day of hair, which is actually my own creation. Check out my pin, http://pinterest.com/pin/136867276147030440/

What you need:
1) Straightener
2) Bobby pins (both kinds)
3) Clear elastics (about 4)
4) Hairspray
5) Anything you might want to add to the style if it’s for a special occasion. A headband, decorative clips, or even flowers would all look great incorporated in this.

How long it takes:
Since you’ll be playing with it and making it a bit of your own thing, the time will vary. However, it took me about 45 minutes in all to curl and style her hair.

How to do it:
1) Curl your hair with your straightener
Note: This makes the hair easier to twist and place when it comes time to putting it in the bun. If you aren’t sure how to do this refer back to my Day 2 post in the Week of Hair.

Curl your hair to begin

2) Take a piece from both sides of the head, twist them and cross them over each other, securing them in the middle with a bobby pin.

Twist the hair, cross and secure with pins.

3) Repeat this step a few times to create the top part of the bun

Repeat

4) Take one section on each side of the head and fishtail braid the hair about halfway down and secure with a clear elastic
Note: If you don’t know how to fishtail braid, refer to my Day 3 post in my Week of Hair

Fishtail a section on both sides.

5) Once both sides are braided and secured, cross them over to the other side pinning them where appropriate, adding variety to the twists

6) Repeat step two with the next section of hair

7) This time take a section on each side of the head again but braid these normal and then secure with a clear elastic

Braid a section on both sides.

8) Take these sections towards the front of the head, pin, and bring them back towards the bun and pin

9) Take the last big chunk of hair that is remaining, twist it all as one section and messily place it and pin as you go to secure tightly.
Note: If this section is too big you can always repeat step two again before doing this

Twist the last section into a messy bun and pin.

10) Once all the hair is up double check that there aren’t any out of place pieces. You want it to be messy, but not wild.

A messy yet pretty bun.

And there you have it, a messy, twisted, braided bun that is elegant but fun at the same time!

A Week of Hair (Day 6): The Waterfall Braid

http://pinterest.com/pin/136867276146988911/

Okay, I promise you my braiding obsession is about to come to an end. But I couldn’t help picking the waterfall braid for today, it’s such a fun and pretty look.

Not only does it look good but the waterfall braid is also super quick and easy! And it’s something that you can do on yourself. So if the more complicated hairstyles over the past few days have scared you off, today is the day for you.

Once again I didn’t follow the picture exactly; I put my own twist on it by making it smaller and go straight across instead of at a slant. But of course feel free to do it how you see fit. Plus, if you’re doing it on yourself it’s really hard to keep it from slanting.

What you need:
1) Just a rubber band or a bobby pin
This just depends on how you want to secure it when you get to the end. I chose a bobby pin, but a rubber band looks better for how the braid is done in the picture

How long it takes:
Only about five minutes!

How to do it:

Thanks again to Mercedes Sapp for letting me use her beautiful hair!

1) Grab a chunk of hair on one side of your head and split it into three sections like a French braid.
Note: The side you start on will depend on which hand is your dominant.

Begin a normal French braid

2) Begin braiding like you would a French braid. However, once the section from the top of the head has been crossed over to the side that your ear is on, split that section in half letting half of it simply fall.

Split the bottom piece and let the forth section of hair fall

Again, let the bottom piece simply fall

3) Continue this process all the way across the back of the head, making sure to drop a section every time you cross the braid.

Continue this process all the way across the back of the head

4) Once you get to the end what you do it up to you. I pinned the end of the hair under the other hair just making it blend into the head. The girl in the pin I got this idea from continued braiding down and then secured it with a rubber band.

I chose to pin the hair at the end

I love this because you can make it your own. So have some fun and braid away!

Back view