Save or Splurge? Kitchen Edition.

{ Worth every penny! }

It seems like money is tighter for everyone these days.  Or, at the very least, we're all trying to be smarter on how we save and spend.  In our house, that means we eat out less and think twice about unnecessary new things.  I buy store brands when I can and I've even become a pretty dedicated coupon user. { Gasp!  I know.  More on that later. }

But in all this saving, there are some places that the scrimp just isn't worth it.  I'm a girl who'd rather have one really awesome, really nice pair of shoes that I wear constantly { currently, it's these beauties } over ten cheap pair that hurt my feet.  It's cost per wear that counts in my mind!

I get what that means in my closet.  But what does it mean in my other favorite place, the kitchen?  I have to admit, I've bought store brand on some things and ended up throwing them away because the loss of quality just wasn't worth it.  But in other cases, I can discern no difference.  So here, in my experience, is where it's best to save and where it's best to splurge in the kitchen.

Save

Paper Products - We get all of our paper towels, trash bags and the like at Costco.  I buy their Kirkland Signature brand.  The major warehouse stores have crazy high standards for their private label items.  They demand that they meet or exceed the quality of the top national brands.  I have a good friend who used to market bath tissue, and packaged her expensive brand for a warehouse club as their private label!  Same stuff, much better price.  The same goes for trash bags, aluminum foil, etc. 

{ These even fit our SimpleHuman trash can! }

Wine - It doesn't have to be crazy expensive to be good.  And just because it's expensive, doesn't mean that it's good, either.  If you like it, that's all that matters.  There's no reason you can't get a good - even great - bottle for less than $15. 

Butter - Someone tried to tell me once that good butter makes a big difference.  I bake all the time, and I use the store brand stuff.  So does my mom.  As long as you're not storing it next to a cut onion in the refrigerator, I say save away. 

Baking Basics - From a chemical perspective, sugar is sugar!  Same with baking soda, flour and more.  I pour mine into air-tight canisters as soon as I get home, so it's not worth the extra money for ten minutes with a Dixie Crystals logo. : )

Splurge

Olive Oil  - Keep a small bottle of the the best kind you can afford for use in salad dressing, dipping bread, etc..  If you're just going to sauté something in olive oil, the lesser expensive varieties are perfectly fine.

Vanilla Extract - Avoid imitation vanilla extract { read: not vanilla }.  It's made from coal tar.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Coal tar. And it takes twice as much imitation vanilla to equal the flavor of the real deal.  A little bit of vanilla extract goes a long way, so a good bottle will last.  I love Neilsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla best.  Many specialty retailers carry it, including the Williams-Sonoma Outlet!

Organic Greens - I have a nutritionist friend who swears that the only time it's worth buying organic produce is for things that are hard to wash, like lettuce or spinach.  A good, quick scrub should remove pesticide residue from other vegetables, fruits, etc.

Organic Milk - We don't drink a ton of milk in our house.  I started buying organic milk largely because the expiration date is so much further out and I was tired of pouring out wasted milk.  But, the more I read, the more I prefer to avoid scary stuff like rBS and rGBH.  And although I buy organic milk, it's still Publix brand!

Honestly, though, it all comes down to what you value.  So where do you save and splurge?

Huddle To Fight Hunger

Print a coupon to save $5 on Kraft products { yay cheese! } and Kraft will donate 5 meals to Feeding America.  Helping out has never been this easy!  Or this helpful with your grocery bill.

There's a reason I love big hats!

Growing up in Florida, sunburn was a fact of life.  Sure, we wore sunscreen when we went to the beach.  But when you're sort of red-headed like me, and you pray that one day all of your freckles will run together so that you have a tan... there's only so much you can do to prevent it.

{ See?  I've always worn sunscreen! }

Fast forward to this past June.  Spencer and I had just gotten home from our honeymoon and I went for my annual appointment at the dermatologist.  I've been going regularly for several years now and have had more biopsies than I can count.  Everything always came back benign.

But this time, a seemingly harmless little freckle turned out to be melanoma.  Early stage, but not as early as it could have been.  I had surgery three days later and at this point I'm pretty much back to normal.  { Except that now I go to the dermatologist every three months.  She and I have a love / hate relationship. }

I went this morning for a secondary excision of irregular cells from my back.  It's just part of being vigilant in keeping the cancer at bay.  I'll be doing this sort of thing for the rest of my life.  You see, early stage melanoma is very treatable with nearly a 100% survival rate.  But left to grow... this stuff is seriously bad news.  It's like an iceberg.  Small on the surface, but much larger underneath. { My little smaller-than-a-pencil-eraser freckle left a five-inch scar! }

In fact, melanoma:

• Is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide.
• Is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
• Is the primary cause of cancer death in women ages 25-29.
• Can strike men and women of all ages and all races, even people with naturally dark skin.

{ Love this red hat.  And the Dawgs.
Even when they lose. }

I started going to the dermatologist four years ago because my friend Lisa told me about her brush with melanoma and it made me make an appointment.  If I had waited until I had something scary-looking to make one... well, I'm glad I didn't.  My mom's been in for a check now, as well as my sister, my hairdresser and who knows who else.  So like Lisa, I tell my story in hopes that someone else will catch theirs early, too.

For more information about melanoma and other forms of skin cancer, check out The Skin Cancer Foundation.  And if you see me at the beach, please don't make fun of my enormous hat. : )

Perfect Pancakes

Happy National Pancake Day!

Let me start off by saying that up until a few months ago, I was a waffle fan.  Hardcore.  I think my dad is the only person on earth who can simultaneously burn the outside of a pancake while the inside is still raw and gooey.  It's a talent.  My sister knows what I'm talking about.  She reacted by starting to make the pancakes at our house, and I reacted with a serious love of waffles.  { I'm older.  There were a good few years with our sweet Dad and his dual pancakes before Kates came along! }

{ Not my photo.  Not my recipe, either. But YUM! }

But, one Friday morning recently, I came into work to the sounds of quite a party in the breakroom.  Now, spontaneous parties aren't entirely uncommon in our office and they usually involve food.  { We are a restaurant company, after all. } This party in particular was the birth of the Pancake Posse.  We're talking electric griddles, colorful aprons, Motown music, and the pancakes that converted me.

This recipe comes from the kitchen of my sweet coworker and baker extraordinaire, Anna Queen.  I'm so glad she was kind enough to share it with me!  And if you work with us... don't fret.  There's another spontaneous pancake party in the works.  Just listen for Motown.

Pancake Posse Pancakes
These pancakes are perfectly fluffy and they hold their own with a variety of mix-ins.  My favorite?  Crushed Nature Valley granola bars { the crunchy ones... just stick 'em in a food processor for a sec } with blueberries.  Kates would vote for chocolate chips.

• 1 egg
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together and give it a minute to rest.  Then, pour and flip away.  Enjoy!

Font - tastic

I've had a few people ask how I got the handwriting-style font in my post and sidebar headers, so I figured I'd share the love.  It's really wasn't difficult!

I was Googling the topic and came across step-by-step { "Ooo baby..." } instructions over at kevinandamanda.com.  It's totally do-able if you're at all familiar with the HTML code of your blog.  And, coincidentally, their site/blog is downright adorable.  There are fun { free! } fonts and tasty-looking recipes, too.  Don't start looking around unless you've got plenty of time on your hands. I. am. so. not. kidding.

The only thing I had to do differently from the instructions was to change ".webs.com" to ".hostwebs.com" in the blogger-sifr.js file and then again in the HMTL code I pasted into my blog.  Their post is from more than a year ago, so I'm betting that webs.com just changed their protocol or something.  { And if you like this font it particular, it's called Sunshine In My Soul and I downloaded it for free from dafont.com. }

I haven't figured out how to make it bold yet, but overall I'm happy with the results.  If you give it a try, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to take a look!

{ And on a side note, I might regret this post title.  And the unncessary NKOTB reference.  Still debating.  Please forgive the cheese! }

What's the word?



{ Hilariousness courtesy of Mental Floss }

I had a very interesting conversation at work last week.  We started talking about pet peeves, specifically those that relate to grammar.  It all began when someone vented about the use of "touch basis".

Now for context, you should know that I can't diagram a sentence to save my life.  Nor can I recite the list of prepositions.  In fact, I never even took grammar. Of the 11 schools I attended before I was 18, not one of them managed to teach it to me.  { Or, more accurately, I made the shift from 6th to 7th grade when the former school taught it in 7th and the latter taught it in 6th.  Score! }

So here, as a public service announcement, are the top offenders we came up with in the category of misused idioms, expressions and just plain ol' words.  I learned a few new ones; perhaps you will, too.

Touch Base

• The one that started it all.  It's a baseball analogy, folks.  So, it's not "touch basis."

Supposed To

• The "d" belongs there.  "Suppose to" is incorrect.

Used To

• Ditto the above. It isn't "use to."  Unless you're writing directions for a pair of scissors, in which case you could say "use to cut things." : )

Toward

• There is no "s" at the end of the word.  It isn't "towards."  Who knew?

Anyway

• Also has no "s" at the end. "Anyways" is technically incorrect.

Couldn't Care Less

• Be sure to make it negative. { It isn't "I could care less" because that would mean it were possible for you to care less, thus leaving us in some strange double negative-like situation.  It's supposed to mean that you care as little as humanly possible.  And now my brain hurts. }

Chest Of Drawers

• Not "chester drawers." I heard this one a lot when we first moved to Georgia!

Intents And Purposes

• Not "intensive purposes."  Unless, of course, your purposes are really intense.  In which case... we have bigger problems than poor grammar.

Done vs. Finished

• This one is my mom's favorite.  As she taught her third graders, "Turkeys are done.  People are finished."

What others do you see/hear most often?  Enlighten us!

A little inspiration...

{ courtesy of the awesomeness over at Quotable Cards }

Sugar Coma Festival - who's with me?

{ I wish I made this.  I didn't. }

So, I read The Broke Socialite { aka TBS } pretty regularly.  She's the one who told me about Paperless Post.  I talk like we're friends or something.  Really I just read her blog and follow her on Twitter.  She's a hoot.



Anyway, I digress. TBS produces these great food tours across Atlanta, DC, and other fabulous cities.  I really wanted to go on one of her Sugar Coma dessert crawls.  During the first one this year, I was on my honeymoon.  Sorry cupcakes.  Hawaii wins.  And then I got all excited about the second one and I even called my sister to go with me and... then I realized I had a conflict.  Boo.  { I hate conflict in more ways than one.  Especially when it keeps me from cupcakes. }



But there is hope!  Sugar Coma Festival is Sunday, November 14, at Le Fais Do-Do. { Le Fay Doh Doh.  You know, like Play-Doh.  Don't worry.  I had to look it up. } It's not technically a dessert crawl, as it's not a tour de sweets across the city, but it still sounds fabulous.  Here's the scoop:

From cupcakes to pralines to cookies, you'll stroll from table to table enjoying sweet bites, demonstrations and a remarkable good time. The fun doesn't stop there. Trust us. We'll have gluten-free and vegan offerings, as well!

Excited yet? It gets better. There will be a DJ spinning confection-themed playlists and a marketplace where you can purchase full-sized versions of your favorite tastes! Remember: sweet tooth attacks usually occur around midnight...you surely want to be prepared. Also, with Thanksgiving around the corner, you'll surely be interested in freezing a loaf of sweet bread or a cake (or two...), right?

It's $25.  It starts at 2:00.  And it's gonna be awesome.  Who's with me?  Tickets are discounted if you buy more than 5, so if you want to go, please let's go together!

Wise Words

Why is it that at one moment I can be perfectly content, and yet in the next breath I'm wishing for something else?  I joke that I want multiple lives to live, but on some level I'm serious.  I want the one I have right now, then one to be a designer, another one to be a stay-at-home mom, one to try my hand at being a working mom, one to live in the country,  another to live in the city... you catch my drift.  I'm like a kid with shiny objects.  Focus is not a gift I possess.

And then today, a girlfriend and I were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over another friend's new house.  It's absolutely adorable, in that historic-and-charming-meets-modern-Anthropolgie-chic kind of way.  There's even an honest to goodness dinner bell off the back porch!

While I'm happy for her, I instantly felt a pang of jealousy.  Now I want a house with more character { and maybe a claw-footed tub }.  But just three years ago, when I bought the townhouse that Spencer and I now share, it was more than I'd ever dreamed of.  It's still more space than we truly need and can use on a regular basis.  So what is my deal?  We technically have two homes right now! { Anyone want to buy a cute condo in Vinings? }

Ugh.  Why do I do this?  It always has one of two outcomes.  I'm either left feeling superior { nice in the short-term, but pride comes before the fall.  No thanks. }, or suddenly I'm discontent with what was once more than enough.  Dangerous territory.

Some of the wisest words I've ever heard on the subject were first spoken to me by a colleague:

I don't know about you,  but I'm not interested in having my joy stolen.  I like the life I've been given. : )

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that... don't compare yourself with others." { Galatians 6:4, The Message }

Patriot Day

Nine years ago today, I was a senior in high school.  My sister was in seventh grade, and my mom taught third grade at that same school.  Like any other Tuesday, I had Mrs. Roberts' Government class first.  She lectured on how honored we are as a country to have the freedoms that we do.  Ironically, she ended class by playing a Brooks & Dunn song: "Only In America."  The time was just after 9:00, literally as the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

The bell rang and I went to second period Calculus, none of us having any idea the way that this day would change our lives.  Not ten minutes into class, another of the elementary teachers came into class, saying that mom needed to see me.

Long story short, my dad is a health care consultant.  For most of 2000-2002, his assignment was Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.  He had flown to New York from Dallas that morning for a 9:00 meeting in the World Trade Center.  In the chaos of everything that went with that horrific day, we had no idea where he was.  He had checked in with mom as he boarded his early morning flight, saying that they had an on time departure and that he'd call again later in the day.  And he was supposed to be there in that tower, on the 97th floor right as the first plane hit.  Heck, Dad had been in New York so long that he kept his room at the Marriott in Building 5 over the weekends, just so he wouldn't have to check out and check in every week.  He should have been on the ground by 7:45, and he wouldn't answer his phone.

{ An antenna from atop the WTC.  Now on display at the Newseum in Washington, DC. }

Never before in my life have I been so thankful for a airline delay.  Dad's plane backed away from the gate in Dallas right after he spoke with my mom.  But, then they sat on the tarmac for nearly an hour before take-off.  So, when the attack on the WTC began, Dad's flight was on approach to LaGuardia.  They were diverted to several different airports before finally landing in Raleigh.  It was well into the afternoon before he was able to get in touch with us, and we are so unbelievably blessed that God kept him safe.

For thousands of others, though, that wasn't the case.  And my heart aches for their sacrifice.  The firemen, the rescue workers, and those just at work like any other day.  And even today, those who continue to fight for our freedom.  God bless America.  May we never forget.

Furniture Meets Fashion

As a Floridian girl in the '80s, I lived in jellies.  I had purple ones, pink glittery ones, clear ones { for my Cinderella dress, natch } and in sixth grade I even had a pair with some fabulously chunky two-inch heels.  I mean I rocked it at CSMS.  That is, as much as a chubby girl with frizzy hair, braces and pink-rimmed Coke-bottle glasses can rock it.

All that to say, I have a special place in my heart for plasic shoes.  And my semi-grown-up self is learning to love flats.  So when I saw these beauties { aka "Bow Wow Ballet Flats" } from the collaboration of two Italian icons, Kartell and Moschino, I fell in love.  It's furniture meets fashion.  And look at the bow!  Plus, if you feel so inclined, they are 100% recyclable.  Though if you're going to get a pair and then feel the need to recycle them... I think I can help with that.  Size 9, please.  Did I mention I love the bow!?!

But of course patience is a virtue.  They aren't available until January.  Probably a good thing, though, because I haven't formally broken out my fall wardrobe yet.  So in the mean time, bring on the boots!

Pretty & Practical - Paperless Post

{ Remember these things? }

I. Love. Stationery.  And design.  And paper.  Always have. When I was in elementary school, my dad came home with an IBM PS1 and a dot matrix printer.  He installed Print Shop shortly thereafter, and from that day on my afternoons were spent in front of that behemoth creating cards and banners for anyone and everyone.  Stuffed animals included.  I even started a neighborhood club just so I could create membership cards and letterhead.  Only my parents know how many color ribbons I went through.

Then, in high school, I worked at a Hallmark store.  Week after week, I spent virtually my entire paycheck on cards and stationery.  Today, I'm in heaven at places like Papyrus, Crane's and Paper Source.  {My poor husband is a really good sport.  I've already ordered him two sets of monogrammed cards.  He helped tremendously with our wedding thank you notes!}

So as much as I love the speed and convenience of email, something about it just feels so impersonal to me.  It works fine for quick messages, but for special occasions or otherwise important events, I find it subpar.  And while I love how Evite allows you to track responses, the designs are just not my style and their customization options are limited.

{The Premiere Party invitation I made on Paperless Post}

Enter Paperless Post.  It's like they were eavesdropping on my mental wish list and combined everything I ever wanted in online stationery.  You can create a custom look from a litany of beautiful "papers" and motifs, or pick up one of their existing - and lovely - designs.  They even allow you to choose envelope liners. {Swoon!} Birthday cards, personalized stationery and invitations all the way from fun and funky to traditional and chic... I only wish I could order them in real paper!  We used Paperless Post for the invitation to our little "Say Yes To The Dress" premiere party  and were exceedingly pleased.  It's still in Beta {click here to join!}, so I can't wait to see what beautiful new options will come forth as they continue to develop.

In my mind, half the joy of sending someone a kind word is the effort put forth into finding and writing the perfect card.  Paperless Post brings that joy back to email.   So while it's still not a handwritten note, it's close.  Virtual communication just got a whole lot classier.

Just Peachy

Nothing says Georgia like peaches!  As a kid, my grandparents would take us to Montezuma in the summer to pick our own, and we'd bring back a whole bushel.  We'd have cobbler and ice cream until we popped.  (Unless of course I managed to get the rock salt into the ice cream instead of onto the ice... which may or may not have happened once or twice. : )

We had friends over this afternoon to send summer out in style (and let the boys watch football), so I thought one last peach cobbler would be the perfect way to end the season.  While I love the crumbly, strudel-like topping my mom makes, I went for a Paula Dean recipe today instead.  Something about the way that the crust starts out on the bottom and yet somehow winds up on top is just fun.  And it's perfectly thick without being too dense.

I used a mixture of traditional and white peaches, as I couldn't find enough traditional peaches that were ripe to my liking at the grocery store.  That, and I didn't realize I'd gotten three regular and and two white ones until we got home.  Apparently it didn't matter much, because between the seven of us we nearly ate the dish clean!

Paula's Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.
4. Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks, it's not 85* outside at 8:00 in the morning (at least not today)... and the DAWGS are back between the hedges! I had a whole UGA tribute written, but seriously.  Who can top Larry Munson?

Heroes have graced the field before you. Men with hearts, bodies and minds for which the entire Bulldog Nation can be justifiably proud. The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these individuals and many others spans more than a full century.

And now a new breed of bulldog stands ready to take the field of battle. To assume the reigns of the Georgia program. To continue that tradition, understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy. No institution worthy of such loyalty as The University of Georgia.

As we prepare for another meeting between the hedges let all the bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the red and black with two words. Two simple words that express the sentiments of the entire Bulldog Nation…

GO DAWGS!