Stay tuned to Katie's Pirate Booty - which will soon become Pieces of Cake!
New URL: www.piecesofcakeblog.blogspot.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
My Favorite Things: Fall Recipes Edition
I am not a fan of fall and winter, or cold weather, but I am a fan of soups. I love making and eating soup. Lots and lots of soup. It is hard to make lots and lots of soup in the summer time (it is hot in NC!) So I try and take full advantage of the cooler weather. I tend to be a bit overzealous with my fall cooking in the beginning of the season... the lucky people who live and work near me get to benefit from this enthusiasm. Soup recipes make a lot of food, and I love handing out portions of my creations!
Butternut Squash Soup
My preferred serving style: topped with reduced-fat sour cream, sunflower seeds, and served with a side of cornbread. 5 P+ per serving (plain), 11 P+ when served as suggested.
Crock Pot Turkey and White Bean Pumpkin Chili
My preferred serving style: 2 servings poured over 1/2 cup of brown rice and topped with reduced-fat sour cream. 3 P+ per serving, 10 P+ when served as suggested.
Low Fat Creamy Potato Soup
My preferred serving style: topped with scallions, cheese, and bacon bits. Sour cream would be good too, but this soup is pretty creamy by itself! 5 P+ when served as suggested.
Thyme and Vegetable Lamb Stew
My preferred serving style: as-is! This soup is delicious as-prepared. 6 P+ as-prepared.
Of course, making soup requires some very sophisticated kitchen tools. Not really, but here are some of my kitchen must-have's for these recipes.
- Immersion Blender (I got mine at Wal-Mart)
- Slow-Cooker
- Good cutting boards in a variety of sizes
- Calphalon Contemporary Knives
Now go, make these Fall recipes and let me know how they turn out! What are some of your favorite Fall recipes?
My preferred serving style: topped with reduced-fat sour cream, sunflower seeds, and served with a side of cornbread. 5 P+ per serving (plain), 11 P+ when served as suggested.
My preferred serving style: 2 servings poured over 1/2 cup of brown rice and topped with reduced-fat sour cream. 3 P+ per serving, 10 P+ when served as suggested.
My preferred serving style: topped with scallions, cheese, and bacon bits. Sour cream would be good too, but this soup is pretty creamy by itself! 5 P+ when served as suggested.
My preferred serving style: as-is! This soup is delicious as-prepared. 6 P+ as-prepared.
Of course, making soup requires some very sophisticated kitchen tools. Not really, but here are some of my kitchen must-have's for these recipes.
- Slow-Cooker
- Good cutting boards in a variety of sizes
- Calphalon Contemporary Knives
Now go, make these Fall recipes and let me know how they turn out! What are some of your favorite Fall recipes?
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The ABC's of Katie
A: Age. 24 in exactly one month!
B: Bed size. Double. I'm ready for a 2 bedroom apartment, so I can upgrade to a king sized bed!
C: Chores you dislike. Loading and unloading the dishwasher. It's so annoying.
D: Dogs. Don't have one. Would love one, but I don't think I have enough time (or money, or a yard...)
E: Essential start to your day. Hitting snooze at least 2 times. A water and a green tea once I get to work.
F: Favorite color. Pink.
G: Gold or silver. I really like gold jewelry - I mix and match though. I used to exclusively wear silver, but my Michael Kors watch has inspired me to wear a lot more gold.
H: Height. 5'3" and still growing! Kind of, I am working on my posture with my chiropractor.
I: Instruments you play(ed). Ha. Yeah right. At one point in time I tried to play the guitar, but my fingers are too short.
J: Job title. Indirect Sourcing Specialist.
K: Kids. Not yet.
L: Live. Charlotte, NC.
M: Mom's name. Susan Elizabeth. I got her middle name!
N: Nicknames. Since my real name is Kathryn, I guess Katie would be a nickname? My dad calls me Katootah and Cake.
O: Overnight hospital stays. Not since birth, thank goodness.
P: Pet peeves. Gum smacking. Fingernail clipping in public places. Lack of personal hygiene. People who can't drive.
Q: Quote: Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. -Theodore Roosevelt
R: Righty or lefty. Righty.
S: Siblings. One younger (but taller) brother, Jonathan.
T: Time you wake up. Around 6 AM during the week. Usually around 8 AM on the weekends.
U: Underwear. Why yes, I wear it.
V: Vegetables you don't like. Brussel sprouts, celery. I like most veggies!
W: What makes you run late. Traffic, waiting on other people. I hate being late.
X: X-rays you've had. Lots on my teeth, my spine.
Y: Yummy food you make. Some of my favorite culinary creations.
Z: Zoo animal favorites. Pigs are my favorite animal, but they are a farm animal. Counts in my book.
B: Bed size. Double. I'm ready for a 2 bedroom apartment, so I can upgrade to a king sized bed!
C: Chores you dislike. Loading and unloading the dishwasher. It's so annoying.
D: Dogs. Don't have one. Would love one, but I don't think I have enough time (or money, or a yard...)
E: Essential start to your day. Hitting snooze at least 2 times. A water and a green tea once I get to work.
F: Favorite color. Pink.
G: Gold or silver. I really like gold jewelry - I mix and match though. I used to exclusively wear silver, but my Michael Kors watch has inspired me to wear a lot more gold.
H: Height. 5'3" and still growing! Kind of, I am working on my posture with my chiropractor.
I: Instruments you play(ed). Ha. Yeah right. At one point in time I tried to play the guitar, but my fingers are too short.
J: Job title. Indirect Sourcing Specialist.
K: Kids. Not yet.
L: Live. Charlotte, NC.
M: Mom's name. Susan Elizabeth. I got her middle name!
N: Nicknames. Since my real name is Kathryn, I guess Katie would be a nickname? My dad calls me Katootah and Cake.
O: Overnight hospital stays. Not since birth, thank goodness.
P: Pet peeves. Gum smacking. Fingernail clipping in public places. Lack of personal hygiene. People who can't drive.
Q: Quote: Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. -Theodore Roosevelt
R: Righty or lefty. Righty.
S: Siblings. One younger (but taller) brother, Jonathan.
T: Time you wake up. Around 6 AM during the week. Usually around 8 AM on the weekends.
U: Underwear. Why yes, I wear it.
V: Vegetables you don't like. Brussel sprouts, celery. I like most veggies!
W: What makes you run late. Traffic, waiting on other people. I hate being late.
X: X-rays you've had. Lots on my teeth, my spine.
Y: Yummy food you make. Some of my favorite culinary creations.
Z: Zoo animal favorites. Pigs are my favorite animal, but they are a farm animal. Counts in my book.
Friday, October 21, 2011
My Favorite Things: Workout Edition
My inspiration for this post came from my friend Christine (who does not have a blog but needs one. She has funny stories). Example: she told me she was going to take a 'big girl shower.' What is a 'big girl shower?' Apparently its hair washing AND leg shaving at the same time! Why would one not wash their hair in the shower? Christine swears by Victoria's Secret dry shampoo. I am not a conneseuir of dry shampoos because of some scalp issues and have to wash my hair every day (thank you dermatologist for slowin' me down!). This one comes highly (HIGHLY!) recommended. It would be great to use after a work out when you don't want (or don't have time) to full-on shower!!! Anyway, she asked me for an economical sports bra recommendation. And this post was born.
Here are some of my favorite workout things:
C9 by Champion Compression Bra
I recently came across this sports bra thanks to a sale at Target. I am pretty loyal to the C9 by Champion brand for my workout gear, but they really do make quality sports bras. I bought this bra because it was on sale (and cheaper than my 'normal' sports bra). It works very well for those of us that... for lack of a better word... bounce a lot during our workouts. I am so thankful I found this bra! It keeps me in place during my jogs and is very comfortable. Priced at around $15, you really can't find a better deal!
Ipod Shuffle
Best. Investment. Ever. Instead of jogging around with my old Ipod Video clunker, I now clip this on to the waistband of my pants and go. It is very easy to use and allows me to choose my playlist or song as I jog. The Ipod will talk to you, and tell you what song or playlist you are on. It's pretty cool! For $49, it is definitely a good supplementary MP3 player, and minimizes those cumbersome moments when trying to find a song with a display screen.
Danskin Now Yoga Pants and Jacket
I mentioned loving the C9 by Champion brand; but their workout pants are expensive. I bought a pair not realizing it was $30. Those went back the very next day. My mom got a nice light black workout jacket at Wal-Mart. I got one too ($12), and some black pants to match ($14)! These will be perfect as the weather starts to get cooler. I needed something to wear over my short sleeved shirts and tanks. And I know I won't be able to wear jogging shorts without leggings for long. A great brand for workout clothes on a budget!
While I have my opinions on certain aspects of workout gear, one of the things I need major help with is choosing running shoes. I currently own a pair of 2-year-old, beat up, Nike running shoes. While they are relatively comfortable, I think I can do better for my feet.
Does anyone have running shoe suggestions? How do you go about finding the right pair for your feet?
Here are some of my favorite workout things:
C9 by Champion Compression Bra
I recently came across this sports bra thanks to a sale at Target. I am pretty loyal to the C9 by Champion brand for my workout gear, but they really do make quality sports bras. I bought this bra because it was on sale (and cheaper than my 'normal' sports bra). It works very well for those of us that... for lack of a better word... bounce a lot during our workouts. I am so thankful I found this bra! It keeps me in place during my jogs and is very comfortable. Priced at around $15, you really can't find a better deal!
Ipod Shuffle
Best. Investment. Ever. Instead of jogging around with my old Ipod Video clunker, I now clip this on to the waistband of my pants and go. It is very easy to use and allows me to choose my playlist or song as I jog. The Ipod will talk to you, and tell you what song or playlist you are on. It's pretty cool! For $49, it is definitely a good supplementary MP3 player, and minimizes those cumbersome moments when trying to find a song with a display screen.
Danskin Now Yoga Pants and Jacket
I mentioned loving the C9 by Champion brand; but their workout pants are expensive. I bought a pair not realizing it was $30. Those went back the very next day. My mom got a nice light black workout jacket at Wal-Mart. I got one too ($12), and some black pants to match ($14)! These will be perfect as the weather starts to get cooler. I needed something to wear over my short sleeved shirts and tanks. And I know I won't be able to wear jogging shorts without leggings for long. A great brand for workout clothes on a budget!
While I have my opinions on certain aspects of workout gear, one of the things I need major help with is choosing running shoes. I currently own a pair of 2-year-old, beat up, Nike running shoes. While they are relatively comfortable, I think I can do better for my feet.
Does anyone have running shoe suggestions? How do you go about finding the right pair for your feet?
10 Personal Questions
Here goes a few personal questions, borrowed from Caitlin over at Healthy Tipping Point.
What do you have on your bedside table?
A lamp, a coaster, candles, cell phones, a basket full of medicine like Excedrin PM, Melatonin, and my vitamins, remotes for the TV and DVR, my kindle, chap stick, hand cream and gloves.
Do you have a tattoo?
No, but I want one. John Mayer/Jimi Hendrix song lyrics. It is just a reminder to be 'Bold as Love' which I think is a powerful statement that can be interpreted in many ways. I want the tattoo on my foot, or my right hip. I would love to have it on my wrist, but it would be too hard to cover up in work situations. I have 10 more lbs to lose, and it might just be my weight loss reward! I have wanted this tattoo for years now, so I know it is not something that I would regret.
What is your worst habit?
Picking my cuticles. Recently, I have been to the dermatologist and found out I have a type of dermatitis on my hands - went on a topical steroid and my hands healed right up! I haven't 'picked' in about a month... I used to be a nail biter, but I now get gel polish manicures so my natural nails stay long and look pretty.
I think my worst habit right now would be talking with my mouth full - sometimes I just get so excited to talk, I forget that I am eating!!! Super rude, I know. Oh, and I eat wayyy too fast. I am actively working on this one. Must. Eat. Slower.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Funny story: when I was little, I wanted to change my name to Madonna and I seriously asked my mom how to do it. I think that made her sad... I also get mistaken for a 'Jessica' a lot. I would definitely not change my name - I considered going by 'Kate' once I started in my professional career, but 'Katie' just suits me, and I can't imagine going by anything else.
Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
I want to go to some sort of epic island vacation once I graduate... I think I want to take a Caribbean cruise, because you get all-you-can-eat food and your hotel room floats with you from island to island!
Tell us something embarrassing about yourself.
I am super duper clumsy. I've had to stop bringing coffee to work in the morning because somehow it ends up all over me and my car. I've tripped over my own feet more times than I can count. And I bruise like a peach, with my clumsiness I have at least 4 bruises on my body at any given time... Most of the time I have no idea where they came from. I am just very uncoordinated. The sheer fact that I have been jogging for over 2 months and not fallen is a complete miracle. I have tripped, but caught myself. Not really embarrassing, but I am just a klutz.
What are you really good at? What are you really bad at?
I am really good at cooking (I think..), picking good restaurants, solving other people's problems, being a hostess, driving, maintaining friendships. I believe my biggest strength is my ability to read people and seeing through their b/s - most of the time I am dead on (however, I am better when I am one step removed from the person I am reading, and when the situation is not directly related to me).
I am really bad at being coordinated (see above) and with that comes participating in any athletic event. I am bad at being flexible too. Not having control over schedules and situations is difficult for me, and I don't tend to react well when things do not go my way.
Why did you attend your college?
It was close to home, they had a good business program, and I look really good in red. Go Wolfpack.
Describe your morning routine today.
This morning was not normal. I woke up, hit snooze at least 3 times (OK, that is normal). Got dressed and semi-presentable (TGIF and Jeans Day). Put the fixin's for my Turkey Pumpkin White Bean Chili in the crock pot and turned it on. Rushed out the door to leave for work. Realized I needed gas. Got gas. Finally made it to work.
Do people think you are younger or older than you actually are?
Everyone thinks I am younger than I actually am. I can't really help that I look like I am 16... apparently this will be good as I get older?! I am sure that it will be, but at the age of 23, it is really annoying when people think you are in high school.
There you go! Now maybe you know a little more about me... I challenge you to answer all (or some) of these personal questions in your blogs!
What do you have on your bedside table?
A lamp, a coaster, candles, cell phones, a basket full of medicine like Excedrin PM, Melatonin, and my vitamins, remotes for the TV and DVR, my kindle, chap stick, hand cream and gloves.
Do you have a tattoo?
No, but I want one. John Mayer/Jimi Hendrix song lyrics. It is just a reminder to be 'Bold as Love' which I think is a powerful statement that can be interpreted in many ways. I want the tattoo on my foot, or my right hip. I would love to have it on my wrist, but it would be too hard to cover up in work situations. I have 10 more lbs to lose, and it might just be my weight loss reward! I have wanted this tattoo for years now, so I know it is not something that I would regret.
What is your worst habit?
Picking my cuticles. Recently, I have been to the dermatologist and found out I have a type of dermatitis on my hands - went on a topical steroid and my hands healed right up! I haven't 'picked' in about a month... I used to be a nail biter, but I now get gel polish manicures so my natural nails stay long and look pretty.
I think my worst habit right now would be talking with my mouth full - sometimes I just get so excited to talk, I forget that I am eating!!! Super rude, I know. Oh, and I eat wayyy too fast. I am actively working on this one. Must. Eat. Slower.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Funny story: when I was little, I wanted to change my name to Madonna and I seriously asked my mom how to do it. I think that made her sad... I also get mistaken for a 'Jessica' a lot. I would definitely not change my name - I considered going by 'Kate' once I started in my professional career, but 'Katie' just suits me, and I can't imagine going by anything else.
Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
I want to go to some sort of epic island vacation once I graduate... I think I want to take a Caribbean cruise, because you get all-you-can-eat food and your hotel room floats with you from island to island!
Tell us something embarrassing about yourself.
I am super duper clumsy. I've had to stop bringing coffee to work in the morning because somehow it ends up all over me and my car. I've tripped over my own feet more times than I can count. And I bruise like a peach, with my clumsiness I have at least 4 bruises on my body at any given time... Most of the time I have no idea where they came from. I am just very uncoordinated. The sheer fact that I have been jogging for over 2 months and not fallen is a complete miracle. I have tripped, but caught myself. Not really embarrassing, but I am just a klutz.
What are you really good at? What are you really bad at?
I am really good at cooking (I think..), picking good restaurants, solving other people's problems, being a hostess, driving, maintaining friendships. I believe my biggest strength is my ability to read people and seeing through their b/s - most of the time I am dead on (however, I am better when I am one step removed from the person I am reading, and when the situation is not directly related to me).
I am really bad at being coordinated (see above) and with that comes participating in any athletic event. I am bad at being flexible too. Not having control over schedules and situations is difficult for me, and I don't tend to react well when things do not go my way.
Why did you attend your college?
It was close to home, they had a good business program, and I look really good in red. Go Wolfpack.
Describe your morning routine today.
This morning was not normal. I woke up, hit snooze at least 3 times (OK, that is normal). Got dressed and semi-presentable (TGIF and Jeans Day). Put the fixin's for my Turkey Pumpkin White Bean Chili in the crock pot and turned it on. Rushed out the door to leave for work. Realized I needed gas. Got gas. Finally made it to work.
Do people think you are younger or older than you actually are?
Everyone thinks I am younger than I actually am. I can't really help that I look like I am 16... apparently this will be good as I get older?! I am sure that it will be, but at the age of 23, it is really annoying when people think you are in high school.
There you go! Now maybe you know a little more about me... I challenge you to answer all (or some) of these personal questions in your blogs!
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