Bursts of Pink!

I'm a junk food junkie. Through and through. I love snacks, candy, chips, all of it! I especially like jelly beans. 

Jelly beans are often elusive, especially when it's not Easter season! Many years ago, circa my middle school years, I discovered Jelly Belly Cotton Candy pink jelly beans. As soon as I mention "cotton candy" I'm sure most people gag. I actually think cotton candy is a misnomer. Being the self-proclaimed candy connoisseur that I consider myself, I believe that these would much more aptly be named "Pink". 

If you could embody the flavor of pink and yummy, it is this jelly bean! Even my mom agreed with the flavor. I've gotten TONS of my friends and co-workers on board with the Jelly Belly Cotton Candy jelly beans!

My sister, knowing how much I love these jellies, got my a redneck wine glass filled to the BRIM with pink jelly beans! It was one of my favorite gifts. She adorned it with the best pink and green ribbons and raffia and it just screamed "Katie"! I've managed to limit myself to only a few every so often so that they'll last me as long as possibly while I'm here at school.

Does anything say "pink" to you like these jelly beans do for me? What are you favorite candies?

xxKatie

Sweet Treats From Lady Antoinette's!

I had the special treat a few weeks ago of trying one of Columbia's newest bakeries, Lady Antoinette's!

They had TONS of fresh desserts, and y'all know that's right up my alley. For those of you who may not know, I have a HUGE sweet tooth! I also had never had a macaron before. I feel like they're the favorite food of most bloggers you talk to. Now I know why!

Lady Antoinette's is nestled inside a bridal salon actually. I got the grand tour by a friend of mine who works as a consultant in the bridal shop. It's beautiful, full of gold leaf wallpapered rooms and beautiful decor. There are marble floors, grand staircases and dresses galore! After making my way around Bella Vista, I made my way into Lady Antoinette's, the real reason for my visit.

I chatted with the friendly staff and they made their recommendations and told me what had been popular. Beignets and macarons were the hot ticket so I ordered a beignet and 2 vanilla and 2 lemon macarons. I couldn't help myself but to eat a vanilla macaron the MINUTE I got into my car!

These macarons are different than most because they're kinda big, but MAN OH MAN are they delicious. (As I type this, I'm thinking to myself about my next trip back...) I at the pink vanilla one first, naturally, and loved it! They're not too sweet and the cream inside is light and fluffy. I then ate the lemon one. To. Die. For. That was actually my favorite thing that I got! It was yellow, but not scary-highlighter-yellow. It was GREAT!

For those of you who are in Columbia, be sure to make your way down to Lady Antoinette's soon! 

xxKatie

Snack Staple

There are a couple of snacks that we have at our tailgate (affectionately named "The Bittieboose" after a spin off of the "Cock-a-booses" that Columbia is known for!) almost no matter what. This fabulous, EASY dip is one of them!

When I first heard my friends talking about it, I thought it was called "Norse Dip" i.e. with some relation to the Norse countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) or someone's Norse relatives. I was VERY wrong.

The name is actually Knorr's Dip named after the Knorr's vegetable mix that you find in dried packets at the grocery store!!

Anyway, I've grown to love Knorr's Dip so much that I actually keep a Pyrex dish of it full at my house for weekly snacking!

When I say that this dip is easy, I mean it's so easy that easy is actually in it's name officially on the website! It's shown to eat with veggies, but thanks to Momma H (one of our tailgate Moms) I've learned that it's absolutely best with Fritos Scoops!

INGREDIENTS

1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.

Stir before serving. Serve with your favorite dippers.

I used Hellman's Mayonnaise and Breakstone's Sour Cream but that's solely because I had them both in my fridge! The longer that you let this dip sit, the better it gets! I couldn't help myself last night when I made it so I started dipping immediately, but it's definitely better the next day or overnight!

What are your favorite dips? Are they easy?

xxKatie

FavoREDs

I've always been a big red fan, but having a shade of red has made my collection expand a good bit! Here are a few of my favoREDs:

My red Longchamp from our New York trip!

Red Starbursts! I do love pink too, so it's a tie, but I figured it would make a fun feautre!

The song AND the cups!

Helly Hansen, obviously!

OPI's Big Apple Red

Are you a red fan? What's your favorite red item?

xxKatie

Weekly Gratitude

1. I am thankful for the outpouring of love that I got on the day of my birthday. My family is the bomb and my friends--y'all know who you are--made my 21st the best birthday I've had!

2. I am thankful for sweet people who constantly think about me and my well-being. Whether that's my parents, God-parents, older fabulous Manhattan mentor, or close friends, knowing that you all have my back is the biggest gift.

3. I am thankful for Great American Cookies--never underestimate the power of a GOOD snickerdoodle, or 5. 

4. I am thankful for a trip to Raleigh that I just finally planned officially last night!! Can't wait for that weekend in February!!

5. I am thankful for my new major. Economics is very hard, but I did my first homework assignment successfully and I have a new-found confidence in that class! Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, GAME ON!

6. I am thankful for the closet organization that I did on Sunday. I'll be posting pictures of the way it turned out, and I am so happy!! I even used a Pinterest idea in part of it!! Where's that "Done It" button on Pinterest now?

7. I am thankful for the direction that this semester seems to be going in. It makes me happy to feel like this since it's only the second week of the semester!

8. I am thankful for Twitter. Sometimes I wonder where all my random thoughts/annoyances/etc. went before Twitter existed. So thanks to everyone who reads them and doesn't get too sick of me!

9. I am thankful that spring time is right around the corner! I am so ready for shorts weather!!

10. I am thankful for long drives (or more typically, the 5 mile drive to/from campus to my house) that I can sing at the top of my lungs. Fellow drivers, I'm not offended if you laugh, I probably would too!

xxKatie

My Exam Friends

TI 84 (painted with glitter nail polish, mind you)

The Hot Zone (I highly recommend this book!)

Principles of Finance, 4th Edition (I highly do NOT recommend this book!)

Snickerdoodles from the Great American Cookies are my study FAVORITE, couldn't have gotten through this week without them!

Under Armour Leggings (Judge away; my excuse this week is the time I'd usually spend picking out my clothes, I am utilizing better to study)

Management, 10th Edition

I've spent much more time with these folks than I'd have liked, but hey it is after all, exam season! I will be heading home Monday after a brief stop in Charlotte on Sunday. I cannot be more excited to be home with my family. The latter half of the semester has been nothing but (unforeseen) stress and I can't wait to take a break from studying!! I know I'm not the only one who is in that boat!!

Sending big, huge, all-consuming exam hugs out to all my readers who are in exam season!

Thoughts and prayers are appreciated!

xxKatie

Guilty Pleasures

As a busy college kid (which many of us are, but if not "busy person" works JUST fine) I don't have much free time. I'm usually studying or thinking about studying or preparing to study, in meetings, working or actually in class. There isn't very much time for "extra" stuff. I do, however, have a few guilty pleasures that I will indulge in every now and then when I have the time. Here are a few of them:

1. Toddlers & Tiaras

I know, I know, crazy Moms and kids, but at 10:00 on a Wednesday night, YEAH, I'm gonna tune in if I don't have a test the next day. NOT sorry. It is fun to watch, I like to see if I can pick who wins and laugh at the Moms. Plus I love MAAAAKENZIE!

2. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Again, I know they're so bad for you but that's why they call them "guilty" pleasures. There are 2 KK's within a respectable distance from my house and JUST so happen to have late-night hours.

3. Sunglasses

I love sunglasses. They're my accessory of choice. In SC, 8 or 9 out of 10 days are sunny and the sunny mornings are the worst! Talk about bright and early!

4. iTunes Songs

This one my Momma hates, but music is something I rely on daily. I like Pandora but sometimes I'm just in the mood for ONE specific song. I also don't illegally download. Pretty much every song on my iTunes is from a burned CD from a friend or purchased by me. Music helps me calm down, get excited, work on my moods, I think almost anyone would agree!

What are your guilty pleasures? Now you know a few of mine!!

xxKatie

The "S" Word

SNACKS

I love snacks. Salty, sweet, 100% snacks. Some of the yummiest snacks I've seen have been on Pinterest!!! How good do all of these sound? (I have an entire snack board on Pinterest...shh!)

Cake Batter Blondies...YUM-O

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites!

Mini Cannoli Cream Pastry Cups

Pizza Party Dip

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Truffles

Not to mention, how cute do all of these look? With all the fun sprinkles I've managed to collect, I can't help but think of how fun all these snacks could be decorated!!

Got any good snacks to share with me? Are you on Pinterest? Follow me!

xxKatie

Sweet Tooth: Momofuku's

It's no secret I have a huge sweet tooth. Actually with all the sweet teeth I have, it's like I have an entire sweet mouth really. I love all things sweet. Just yesterday we got some caramels to get us through the rest of the workday! Candy and sweet snacks are an everyday occurrence for me (I know, all you dentists and health critics are shaking your heads in shame...). Just the other day I reblogged this from ichatblog on tumblr:

I think I've found the sweet find of a lifetime though! I was stumbling (via stumbleupon...yep) and came across these:

Momofuku's Birthday Truffles 

How GOOD do they look?!

I really want to try to make these on my own! With the rise of Cakepops and how everyone's attempting their own spin on those, I think Birthday Truffles could be the next big thing! Imagine how fun you could decorate these? Personalization? Everything! The possibilities are endless!!

The recipe for these Birthday Truffles is very elusive...you know what that means? That these MUST. BE. THAT. GOOD. It means that the recipe is vaulted somewhere with the likes of Coca-Cola, McDonald's french fries, and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream...that good.

Anyone ever been? Let me know! I'd love to hear about it!!

xxKatie

Addcited

I am fully addicted to Diet Coke. 

As I get more school work, I tend to stay up later or have to get up early and DC just does it for me! I'd say Diet Coke is the drink of choice for most college girls, but it's just a thought. I don't drink coffee, so this is my kick of caffeine!

Anyone else addicted? Even just a little?

xxKatie

P.S. The Diet Coke colors work great for Valentine's Day! #FabFeb

Columbia Restaurant Week--YUM

This is an ad that any past, present or future Gamecock will appreciate. "Chicken Finger Wednesday" is like a weekly holiday on campus. 1400 pounds of chicken fingers are cooked across campus every Wednesday with as many as 200 servings going out every 15 minutes. CFW stats can be found here...yeah, chicken finger wednesday has it's own holiday. Whatever they put in those Wednesday chicken fingers is magic. Cafeterial gold, if you will. People stand in line for these chicken fingers, and this ad agency really knew how to market Restaurant Week to students. It certainly grabbed my attention on our school newspaper, the Daily Gamecock. 

Some of my favorite restaurants are a part of Columbia Restaurant Week and it starts today:

YUM.

The parents are a fan

Who can say no to wings?

This place is quirky and fun!

There are so many great deals to snag during this week, I'm gonna see if I can kidnap a few friends and drag them on over!!

xxKatie

Girl Scout Cookies!

It is finally (almost) time for Girl Scout Cookies!! A big billboard was put up by my neighborhood on my way to campus and it put one heck of a smile on my face! I am a HUGE Thin Mints fan no matter what you say about Tagalongs, Do-Si-Do's, or Samoas, this girl eat Thin Mints and Thin Mints only! I always look forward to the beginning of Girl Scout season and that billboard told me that it must be right around the corner! Secret: a Medium Longchamp can hold 2 standard boxes easily with anything else that might already be in your purse #noshame. I can't wait to enjoy my two sleeves in my pretty green box! 

On this website, you can plug in your area code to find out when girl scout cookie season starts. I'm lucky enough that mine starts...TOMORROW! YES! 

What's your favorite flavor? Anyone else a Thin Mint fiend?

xxKatie

Pumpkin Muffin Time

This Pillsbury Pumpkin mix is so good! And I have good news: it's back on the shelves. Just about as elusive as the Pumpkin Spice Latte, this muffin (or quick bread if you prefer) mix is so good!

I'm not big on pumpkin anything (sorry...) but it's not a consistency that I enjoy. The smells are good, but I also have a problem with getting the picture of the goupy insides out of my head. At one point, your pie was stringy goup. Ew. Anyway, my aunt Megan made us pumpkin muffins at her "little house" as it used to be named a few years ago at the urging of her beautiful daughter Trinity-my cousin-and man oh man, we've never gone back! These wonderful, spongy pumpkin muffins remind me of fall so much! Megan stocks up on this mix while it's still sold (I think they stop selling it around Christmas) so that they can have it throughout the year, or that was at least the protocol when we were there a few years ago! I highly recommend this little box of yumminess that you can grab while it's still being sold! They taste spice-y, cinnamony, nutmeggy, all the wonderful smells and tastes that go along with the holidays! Quick, go run to the store and snatch some up for yourselves!

xxKatie

Butch Bakery: Cupcakes for Boys!

A few weeks ago when I was getting my hair colored I was reading one of the gossipy lady magazines and came upon a place called Butch Bakery. I was intrigued by the name so I continued to read about this manly bakery located in New York.

They have very manly names with very manly ingredients (including some alcohol soaked flavors even!) and have no frilly decorations on top, but instead a chocolate disc with patterns like camo, plaid, and houndstooth. No girly flowers, pink sprinkles, or any pink!

Don't they look delish?!

Check out all their different varieties and fun names: where butch meets buttercream! I even love the words choice like "mouth-wateringly awesome"! Campout, Big Papi, and Tailgate are all my personal choices!

When you place your order, you can get all kinds of different options! Notice though, the small disclaimer (it made me laugh!):

If you live in NY and have a man who loves a good cupcake, you gotta grab these up and send him an order! It's perfect for a guys night in, poker game, birthday or Father's Day!

xxKatie

Housewarming Gift from the Fam

Last night my family sent me and my "new family" (a.k.a. my roommates) this cake. I mass texted a few of my friends telling them about the housewarming gift and two came over last night. I think a few others will enjoy it tonight at a Jersey Shore night that my friend Sara is hosting! It is oh so delicious and rich. The cake serves 14, but really could probably serve twice that since it's so rich.  There are 7 layers of both cake and caramel frosting which is so sugary and sweet and filling. Caroline's Cakes (the bakers) has even been featured on the Today Show and I completely understand why.

At my last birthday I had this cake and ended up taking more than half of it back home with me (which was sorta like a second birthday present if you think about it) since my group of about 10 friends and I were only eating teeny tiny slivers. I even featured the cake on my birthday Polyvore set! If you ate a piece like the one cut on the plate, you'd be pretty much dead and in a sugar coma. I was full from a 1/2 inch slice last night!

Caramel cake is a big Southern Tradition that has made it's way all the way up to Maryland, and coincidentally all the way back to me in SC! Be sure to check out Caroline's Cakes if you dare, I promise you'll be hooked!!!

xxKatie

Pink and Green Party Supplies!

How sweet is this set? My birthday isn't for nearly 6 months, but I LOVE this spread! How fun would this be for the big 2-0?

This chip bowl comes in both pink and green, how festive!? I think I might have to get one of these just for fun...and it's only $5.99! I can't get over what a good deal that is!

I love this pink and orange set, but I'm definitely and P&G girl at heart! 

I would love to pop these guys into cupcakes!! Imagine a Funfetti cupcake, white icing and one of these big sparklers on top!!

These great Target cup sets would be so much fun to have at a party! Everyone would have cute drinks!

But what's a fun drink without a drink umbrella:

Pink sugar-rimmed glasses would make any drink yummy! This is one that would take some extra prep, but would be so cute as part of a big party display! I remember during rush last year, one of the sororities made a pink lemonade drink that was pretty sour (on purpose) and had delish green coarse sugar that rimmed their martini glasses. I would so LOVE to copy that sometime!

Party Hats!!!!...or an alternative:

Crowns! At Lifeguard Press, we actually ran out of birthday crows at one point during the year! (hopefully it won't happen again when my birthday comes around!) I make crowns for my friends when it's their birthdays. They're pink with glitter from Michael's and I use white puffy paint to put their names on them! They really tend to be a hit!

All this party planning makes me want to have one! I'd love to see some pictures from P&G parties that you've hosted or been to! Shoot me an email if you've got any at letsbepreppy@gmail.com!!

xxKatie