i'm baaack!

Wow. So much for keeping up with the old blog. I failed again. Sorry...kinda.

Since I last posted, lots of things have happened! Don't worry. I won't bore you to death with details. Chances are, you are only here because you accessed the link from Facebook. In that case, you probably already know all the boring details of my life. But being the Type A person that I am, I will gladly provide you with a numbered list of all that has happened since my last post!

In case you were wondering, I...
1. Finished student teaching at SouthWest Edgecombe High School.
2. Graduated from East Carolina University.
3. Landed my first job at Franklinton High School.
4. Moved back home.
5. Got engaged! :)

Whew. just thinking about all that has happened since January makes my head spin! Life is crazy busy right now but I really want to make time to blog so that one day I can look back on all of these special events!

Unfortunately, the times of cooking, crafting, and college have come to an end. Well...maybe not the cooking part. Since I will be teaching Culinary Arts, I'm certain that I will be doing lots more cooking! Oh, and the crafting part?! Well I will probably be doing more of that than ever for some DIY wedding projects! I guess college is really the only part that is truly no longer relevant to this stage of life. Tears. Can someone please bring me a Kleenex?

Y'all, my blog needs a new name and look. But I'm having a bit of a mental block trying to figure out something that describes my space perfectly. I need some help!

I will warn you, however, to expect posts about weddings, cooking, weddings, crafting, weddings, teaching, and weddings. Get the pattern?!

Y'all stay tuned for more!

Kaitlyn  

chili in a biscuit bowl.

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! Paula Deen has Type 2 diabetes! Repeat...Paula Deen has Type 2 diabetes.

 Oh...wait. You’ve already heard. You’re not surprised?! Well, I’ve only heard it a billion times over the past couple of days, and I don’t find it the least bit surprising either.

But let me admit something. I still love Paula Deen. Jesus still loves Paula Deen. End of story. Amen.

My mom got Paula Deen’s “Southern Cooking Bible” for Christmas, and I am in LOVE with it! I literally sat down on the couch one afternoon and read every single page of the cookbook!

One of the recipes that I was dying to try was Paula’s “Southern Chili in a Biscuit Bowl.” Sure, I’ve heard of soup in a bread bowl...but a biscuit bowl?! That just rocked my world.

There are 3 main parts to this recipe. Here they go...

1. Biscuit bowls. The stars of the show! See below for ingredients and instructions.

2. Chili. Paula includes a recipe for chili. But it’s very basic. And I’m pretty sure that most people already have a standard chili recipe.

3. Toppings. Like the accessories to a great outfit. Cheese. Sour cream. You know...the good stuff!

To make the biscuit bowls, you need:

- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix. I used a couple of tablespoons extra because my dough wasn’t firm enough at first.

- 2/3 cup whole milk. I used 2% milk because that’s what I like. To each his own.

- A little salt, chili powder, and pepper for flavor! Paula recommends cayenne but this little white girl can’t handle that!

- A little all-purpose flour dusting the work surface.

1. Preheat the oven to 450. But 450 scares me because I’m a wimp. So I set mine to 425. I tell ya, I’m a rebel! Ha.

2. Invert an oversized muffin tin. You know, one that has six wells and makes jumbo muffins. Spray that thing with some cooking spray. I sprayed mine very liberally because I didn’t want to chance messing up my pretty little biscuit bowls.

3. Mix the Bisquick, milk, and seasonings until it forms a stiff dough. You might need to add a little extra Bisquick to achieve the perfect consistency.

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it a little. Just a little. That’s all!

5. Divide the dough into 6 even pieces.

6. Roll each piece into about a 6-inch circle. Who really measures that?! Just make sure the rounds are big enough to cover the tin.

7. Lay each round over the back of the muffin cups and press to form a bowl shape.

8. Bake until lightly browned. 10 to 12 minutes. But mine were looking pretty golden at about 8 minutes, just FYI.

I love these biscuit bowls because they can be made ahead! Just whip some up and store them in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use them. And they literally take almost no time make!

So please...in honor of Paula Deen. Bless her heart. Go make some chili and biscuit bowls. Then devour them. You will be glad you did!

Peace and blessings...and biscuit bowls!

ALSO...A special shout out to my girl, Colby who turned 22 years old today! Happy birthday! I hope it was a great one!   

roasted potatoes and onions.

As you might have noticed, there hasn’t been much cooking recently in the “Cooking, Crafting, and College” blog. College has taken over my life. I apologize.

Last night, we had a yummy and very, very simple dinner! I cooked some chicken tenderloins on the George Foreman grill, popped open and heated a can of green peas, roasted some potatoes and onions, and baked some Sister Schubert’s yeast rolls. Oh, Sister Schubert, I love you more than you will ever know! I seriously think I could eat at least a dozen of those rolls. So stinkin’ good!

But this post is not about Sister Schubert. Sorry, girl.

My wonderful sister gave me a large, rimmed baking sheet for Christmas. I love love love it! It’s like the Rolls Royce of baking sheets. It’s massive. It’s nonstick. It has a rim that is not-too-tall and not-too-short...it’s juuust right! Pretty much, I’ve been dying to use it since I unwrapped it on Christmas morning. Well, guess what folks?! I used it last night! And the heavens opened up and the angels sang sweet sweet songs of joy! Ha. Ok...well maybe all that didn’t happen but I was pretty excited!

My new baking sheet is similar to this one. Except mine is bigger and better! :P 

I love roasted potatoes and onions. Honestly, I pretty much like all roasted food. Especially roasted cabbage. You can check that out here! I make roasted potatoes and onions pretty frequently, but I changed it up a bit this time. I found a recipe on google and tweaked it a little. Not that you really need a recipe for roasted potatoes and onions...but I’m going to share mine anyway.

What you need...

5 or 6 small white baking potatoes (cleaned, peeled, and cubed)

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Seasonings (I used pepper, Cajun seasoning, and a garlic and herb blend)

Baking sheet

Tinfoil, 3 pieces

Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the potatoes and onions in a bowl with the olive oil and make sure that all pieces are coated. Line a baking sheet with a piece of tinfoil. Use the other 2 pieces to form a cross-shape on top of the foil-lined baking sheet. Place the potato and onion mixture in the middle of the foil. Sprinkle generously with seasonings (...you can use as much or as little as you like). Fold the 2 pieces of tinfoil around the potato and onion mixture to create a pouch. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

I really love these roasted potatoes because they kind of remind me of the homefries that I used to get at Mary’s Country Cookin’! :) I eat mine with lots of ketchup because I’m weird like that! But the great thing about these roasted potatoes is that they make WONDERFUL leftovers! And...an added bonus...they are just as good as a side at breakfast as they are at supper! Lovely. I also like this recipe because there is minimal clean up! Amen?! Aaaamen!

So, go roast some potatoes and onions. Now. Right this instant. And then mail me some to Greenville. Please and thank you.

Peace and blessings...and potatoes!

Kaitlyn.  

houston, we have a problem.

No worries. Not a major problem. Just a little annoyance. And not that you care to know...but I’m going to tell you anyway.

After Christmas, I went with my family (and the boy) to Williamsburg, Virginia for a little R&R! One day while we were there, the weather was really ugly so we went to the outlet mall near our hotel. I was in hog heaven! They had awesome deals, and I got some new “teacher” clothes. Exciting. I don’t think the rest of the family was nearly as excited as I was to be shopping. Sorry, Whit! And the joke was that my shopping budget was a whopping $75! Ha. I did exceed my budget just a tad (thanks to my lovely mother...but don’t tell my daddy), and I was able to buy over $500 worth of clothes for a little over $100! That, my friends, is what I like to call a BARGAIN! :) Shirts and skirts and jeans...oh my!

I got a couple of skirts from Ann Taylor because they were long, loose-fitting, school-appropriate...and dirt cheap (that’s the BEST part)! Ha. I really like the black skirt I got, and it’s cute and comfy (that’s always a plus) with a black/grey leopard print long sleeve shirt and grey leggings and flat black boots. However...the leggings make the skirt ride up! It’s SO annoying! And I don’t know how to fix it!

The problem outfit. Please excuse that I took this at the end of the day when I  was all wrinkled.

I went to Target in search of a slip that might fix the situation. I ended up with these two things. (1) A nude, loose-fitting slip. (2) Black, spanx-like shorts that are made out of slip-like material. And guess what?! Neither of them work with the skirt! The nude slip is too loose and slinky to wear under the skirt, and the black shorts are not long enough. It still rides up. Grrr. I even sprayed hairspray ALL over my leggings in a desperate attempt to get rid of the issue! How do I fix it?!

The good news is...the world is not going to end because of my skirt problem. Did y’all know that?! Tomorrow is a new day. And I’m ready for it!

My lunch is packed and chillin’ in the fridge!

I love love love this lunch box! It's personalized and HUGE!

My outfit is hanging and ready!

Yes, I'm dressing casual tomorrow. Don't judge. It's the last day of exams, and the students are going home early!

My bag is organized and sitting by the door! And I got a shower tonight so that I can sleep in until 5:30 tomorrow morning. Ha.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My first official day of student teaching went well. It was pretty uneventful. I proctored an exam for 3.5 hours. Do y’all know what is worse than taking a 3.5 hour exam??? Sitting and WATCHING someone else take a 3.5 hour exam. It’s quite painful.

I’m off to bed...but before I rest my sleepy little head, I’m going to finish the Harry Potter that I didn’t finish last night!

Peace and blessings...and wardrobe malfunctions.

Kaitlyn.

tomorrow, tomorrow! i love you, tomorrow...

...you’re only a day awayyy! :)

Tomorrow is my first OFFICIAL day of student teaching! Though I won’t actually be “teaching” tomorrow...I will be proctoring exams. Fun, right?! Ha. The new semester for the students at SouthWest doesn’t start until January 18^th, so I have a little bit of time to prepare before jumping right in. Thank goodness for that!

Here are some random things that have been on my mind lately...

1. A couple of weeks ago when I was at home for break, I went to get a pedicure. It felt amazinggg, and I chose some fun, bright red polish! But...that’s beside the point. While I was waiting on my nails to dry, my kindergarten teacher walked into the nail salon. (Sidenote: That’s one thing I love about living in a small town! Running into people you know everywhere!) Anyway, this teacher is now retired, and I was able to sit and talk with her about college and student teaching. And I got to thinking how cool it was to be able to talk to my kindergarten teacher, one of the most important teachers I ever had, about my journey to becoming a teacher. I had a moment. I’m mushy like that. Don’t judge. So here’s a special thanks to Mrs. Hymiller for helping to start my journey. My heart is happy, y’all!

2. I have NEVER been a fan of Harry Potter. I’m not sure why. I just had absolutely no interest in the books or the movies. But I’m giving it a chance. I started watching the movies, and I’m currently on the 4^th movie of the series. I’m surprised that I actually like them! And I think the boy is surprised that I like them too! He’s trying to get me to read the books too...but that might be pushing it just a bit too far! :P

3. Today was the 1^st day of classes for ECU. I didn’t have class but I had a meeting this morning about my internship. And I have to admit...as I was walking across campus, I was a little bit sad. I’m excited for the experience of student teaching and I’m ready to graduate, but I’m going to miss going to class on campus every day. Bittersweet.

4. I mentioned before that I recently visited World Market for the 1^st time, and I love it! I’ve been back 3 times already! Recently, I bought some soup mix that looked really good. I actually have a picture of it but I’m too lazy to email and upload it from my phone. Sorry. Anyway, it was potato and corn chowder, and it looked and sounded wonderful. Well...it definitely didn’t taste wonderful! I think it had way too much going on for my liking. It was really heavy, and it required a lot of work to be a basic soup mix. And it was expensive to make! Besides the actual mix itself, I had to have onion, garlic, and a quart of half and half. I was disappointed. I mean, I tried to like it. I really tried to like it, but I just couldn’t make myself eat it. And the boy...he was SO sweet. He ate his bowl and didn’t complain one bit! But let’s just say that I won’t be purchasing that mix again! I’d rather put in a little more love and effort and make some homemade soup! But don’t worry...I’m still obsessed with World Market. ;)  

5. This morning, I got to see my FACS girls, Marcy Beth and Yolanda. We met up for breakfast before our internship meeting to catch up. I’m so thankful that I have these girls to talk to! I’m sure going to miss having classes with them every day! :( But I know that they’re going to be wonderful at their schools. Good luck, ladies!

I know that was so random. I apologize.

I’m off to bed. I’m actually off to watch Harry Potter and then bed. I should be asleep now considering that I have to be up at 5am! Oh my...I’m going to HATE myself in the morning.

Peace and blessings...and prayers for a smooth semester (PLEASE)!

Kaitlyn.

recharged.

I confess. I got really slack with the blog. I’m very sorry. Please accept my apology. :)

Lots and lots and lots of things have happened since the last time I blogged! I guess that’s what happens when you skip out on blogging for over a month. So...let’s play catch up! This is just a taste of what I’ve been doing since my last post.

- I survived the first semester of senior year! Can I get an AMEN?! Aaaaaaamen.

- I finished working as a tutor at SouthWest Edgecombe.

- I found my way back to good ‘ole Franklinton, NC!

- I slept in until 9am!

- I shopped and shopped. And then I shopped some more. And when I got tired of shopping, I went shopping again! It was wonderful.

- I loved on some sweet babies.

- I slept in until 10am!

- I saw a couple of good movies.

- I discovered World Market. Officially OBSESSED with that store!

- I celebrated Christmas with my loved ones.

- I ate. And ate. And ate. Isn’t holiday food just the best?!

- I slept in until 11am! (Do you see the pattern?)

- I played with my new Canon Rebel. Y’all, I need help working that thing.

- I visited Williamsburg, Virginia and went to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Fun, fun, fun!

- I got a pedicure.

- I finally registered for a Pinterest account. Ha!

- I got lots of neat stuff for my kitchen.

- I slept in until NOON! Ahhh...I probably shouldn’t admit that one! :)

- I rang in the new year with the boy. Hello there, 2012!

Pretty much, I did everything BUT school work! And it was absolutely wonderful! At the end of last semester, I was so burnt out. I was just overwhelmed with school and work and life. This break gave me the opportunity to rest and recharge for the upcoming semester. 

However...I’m going to be a very grumpy, sleepy girl when Monday rolls around because it is back-to-school for Miss Averette! I’m SO going to regret my recent sleeping habits because waking up at 5:30am every day definitely isn’t going to be an easy task. I guess I’ll get used to it eventually though. Well, does anyone EVER get used to waking up at 5:30am?! I highly doubt it.

So, now I’m preparing for my last semester at ECU. Bittersweet. I’m really excited and nervous and scared and curious about student teaching that starts on Tuesday. Here’s to hoping that this next semester will be quick, smooth, and stress-free. Ha...stress-free. Who am I kidding?!

I promise to be a better blogger. 

Peace and blessings...

Kaitlyn.

taco pizza.

I’ve been a bad blogger. A bad, bad blogger. I apologize.

Life has been so busy lately! As the semester is coming to an end, everything is hectic. I’m so ready for a break from school, a break from work, and a break from my internship! I just need some time in Franklinton to relax and do nothing with my daddy and mama and sister.

I hate to admit that I haven’t been cooking much lately. And the things that I have been cooking are pretty boring and not blog worthy. But Sunday night I whipped up a simple, yummy dinner. So...let me tell you about it!

I’ve already admitted my love for pinterest. I don’t even have a real account. I just browse and browse and browse. In fact, last week I was in my educational technology class and instead of paying attention to anything my professor I had to say, I searched through pinterest for 2 hours! Lord, help me!

Back to the point. I found this recipe that caught my attention. Taco Pizza. Simple and yummy. Here is the site where you can find the original recipe. I didn’t make any changes to the actual recipes. I just topped it differently.

Here’s what you need:

- 1 lb. of ground beef

- 1 envelope of taco seasoning

- 2 (8 oz.) cans of crescent rolls

- 1 (16 oz.) can of refried beans

- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (...but I used the Mexican blend because it was on sale!)

- Salsa and sour cream for topping! Yummies.

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Brown ground beef. Drain. Add taco seasoning.

3. Unroll crescent rolls onto a cookie sheet. The original instructions say ‘ungreased’ but I recommend greasing the cookie sheet because my crust stuck a little after baking. Use a rolling pin to flatten out the crescents and join the seams together. The dough should cover the entire cookie sheet. Bake the crust at 375 for 11 minutes.

4. Microwave the refried beans for a minute. Spread the beans over the crust when it is finished baking.

5. Spread the taco meat over the refried beans. Sprinkle the cheese over the meat. Bake the pizza for 4 minutes to melt the cheese.

6. Cut, serve, and ENJOY! We topped our pizza with salsa and sour cream and it was wonderful!

I will definitely be making this recipe again. I loved it. The boy loved it. It was a winner! Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures. Sorry.

Peace and blessings...and taco pizza!

Kaitlyn.