Christmas Gift Ideas…part 2

I still haven’t done a great job with the Christmas gifts, but because I’m a freak and do things backwards, I’ve got a few kitcheny type gift ideas to share with you.

This first one falls under the “you’ve probably seen it on TV” categories. I’m gonna admit it. I am always dying to own those silly informecial type kitchen gadgets. It’s true. I can’t help it.  And there is one little gadget out there that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while.  (Don’t judge me.)

It’s the “Slice Solutions Brownie Pan” and it looks awesome.  A local tv station did one of their “Try it before you buy it” segments and featured this bad boy.  It got two thumbs up.  Oh yeah.

And this next one is just plain adorable. They are cupcake plates. And as hard as it is to believe, they make cupcakes cuter than they already are.

Visit CakeSpy Shop to buy these little cuties.

Now… go forth and shop.

Sweeter in Tennessee

The past two weekends I’ve spent driving up to Tennessee. The first trip was to Nashville. This weekend was Knoxville.  And oddly enough, next weekend I’ll be heading up to Athens, GA for the Georgia / Tennessee game.  So I guess you could say it’s a bit of a Tennessee kind of month for me.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend these two weekends with two of my dearest friends.  And for the Knoxville trip, I finally met my friend, Elaine’s, soon to be 1 year old, Caroline.  

I met Elaine several years ago and our friendship developed over a mutual love of food…cookies actually.
Henri’s shortbread cookies to be exact. 
When she lived in Atlanta, we’d grab lunch a few times a week…
going to the same place everytime…
eating the same sandwiches everytime…
and with about as little guilt possible, eating the same shortbread cookies everytime.

She hasn’t lived in Atlanta for quite a few years, but her love of those cookies remains strong. And that’s precisely why I knew I had to bring a few  dozen along with me as an early birthday gift.

And we ate them.
For a snack, for a dessert treat, and, rumor has it, for breakfast too.

Somehow those cookies tasted just a little bit sweeter in Tennessee.
Thanks Elaine.

In the kitchen

Or what I should have titled, “What I’m coveting for my kitchen”…

It’s probably not much of a secret, but I spend my evenings sitting in front of my computer. Most nights I’m trying to catch up on all my friends’ blogs. (For the full list, please look to your right and then when you’re done with that, click on Link Love ♥.) That might explain why the flooring in my house is coated in dog fur. Thinking I should give up one night of internet reading for running the vacuum cleaner. But one of the other time sucks in my life is soaking in all of the food blogs out there.

Reading about photography tips from Helen from Tartelette.

Wondering if I’m brave enough to attempt some recipes.

Questioning if I’m silly for even thinking I belong in this food blogging world.

But more than anything, I spend the time drooling over food bloggers’ props.

So during my lunch break, I headed straight for Anthropologie because really and truly, there’s no better source for adorable kitchen props.

And these, my friends, are stinking adorable.
Kind of like this pie dish my friend, Christina, gave me. Just so happens that it, too, is from Anthropologie.

{Smashing} Pumpkin(s) Bread

The title of this blog post was originally going to be “It’s beginning to feel a lot like Fall”, but I was missing just one whole syllable so I opted for the more obvious title…”smashing pumpkins bread”.

It worked.
Okay, maybe not. But I like linking foods and songs/artists together. Makes me appear cheesily clever.
Or not.

So I spent the weekend visiting a sweet, sweet friend up in Nashville. And the weather was nothing short of perfect, thus the reason for the original post title. Highs ranging between the mid 70s- low 80s. In other words, I was in heaven. I was able to sit on her back patio and enjoy a slight crisp breeze without having to worry about whether or not my deodorant was strong enough.
(Don’t judge me. You know it happens.)

We spent the weekend taking walks with her incredibly awesome dog, Lady.
We ate at a little place called Germantown Cafe.
We wandered around the Parthenon.
Yes, the Parthenon.

And hung out with the arts and crafts kids down at TACA.

But the highlight of the weekend came in the form of Pumpkin Bread.
It screams fall, doesn’t it?
It’s baking, it’s pumpkin. It’s awesome.

And it should be known that I’ve already scarfed down two pieces today. It’s only 1020am.
It’s gonna be a good day.

 

Pumpkin Bread
{printable recipe}
2 cups (all purpose) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup water

Sift dry ingredients together. Mix remaining ingredients and add all at once to flour mixture. Beat well until mixture is smooth. Pour into greased, floured loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

kitchen accessories

So, I have a confession.
I love kitchen accessories. I do. Shoot me.
Luckily, I’m not one of those hoarder types. I can stop myself from buying useless crap for my kitchen.
Okay, so not always. I did buy a tiny ladle once. Couldn’t even tell you why. It was cute I guess. And I was in Charleston. And you’re supposed to buy things when you’re on vacation.

So anyway, I like cool little kitchen accessories. I love plates, and glasses, and dish towels, and aprons, and mugs. God do I love coffee mugs. If I had the room, I’d buy up every pretty little one my grubby fingers touched. I’d even have my mom make a few for me (she’s really into that All Fired Up! pottery painting stuff).

It should come as no surprise that when I came across this website last night, I knew, the moment I saw it, that I had to have it.

Are you kidding me?
I’d use this mug until it (or I) died. Because this mug is not only humorous, it’s honest.
Brutally honest.

But it doesn’t stop there…because the website told me if I liked that mug, then I would also like these plates.

And you know what?
I do.
I really, really do.

And if you’re wondering what that last plate has written all over it…
Enjoy:
“It’s hard to be around you when you eat like this. Please stop eating, we’re worried about you. For the love of God stop eating. Do you really need that second helping?”

You can go ahead and mark those off your Christmas shopping list.
You’re welcome.

The Friday Apron Fix

I haven’t always been obsessed with aprons, I swear. The obsession only started a few months ago when I walked through Anthropologie and discovered some of the most adorable aprons I’d ever seen.

And only recently, I discovered the beautiful creations of IceMilk Aprons.

And this one…well, she’s my favorite…

It’s called “Rollings of Cinnamon” and it’s just one from “a gourmet line of heirloom aprons”. 

Aside from the fact that these aprons are incredibly beautiful, they are meant to create family traditions.  I don’t know about you, but I adore the sentiment that comes with the heirloom kit…that they “exist to preserve the heritage of your family, taking you from apron to heirloom”.

I’m sorry, but it really doesn’t get any sweeter than that.

If you love these half as much as I do, click over and read the sweet story of the IceMilk Aprons inspiration. 

 

Now go forth and fall in love.

a sweet gift

I love cookbooks. Currently, I have a collection of about 12 in my kitchen. Pretty nuts considering I’ve got another 10 or so packed away in boxes in some storage container. (Home on the market, can’t have too many books around the house.)

But what I really love are cookbooks that use minimal ingredients. They’re concise and more importantly, they tend to be easy. I like easy. So you can imagine how freaking ecstatic I was to open a Christmas (long story) gift from my sweet friend Elaine and find that it was a cookbook!!!

And I can’t get over how fantastic the name is…
“Life After Ramen”

And in typical Elaine fashion, she went over the top and had the authors autograph the cookbook.
That, my friends, is impressive.

Thank you Elaine for the most perfect gift.
I cannot wait to use the hell out of this cookbook.

crumb{a bakery} part two

Thanks to Sabrina at crumb{a bakery} for a nice evening of conversation and coffee. And for being such a sweetheart and sharing her fabulous french macarons with me.

Sorry guys, these are mine. You’ll have to get your own.

Christmas Gift Idea – Cuffs

You’d think after posting all of these Christmas gift ideas, I would actually have bought my friends and family members gifts. 

Alas, I have not. Instead I’ll just share all of my best ideas with you.  Yeap, I’m a giver like that.

 
Although I am no fashion plate, I do find these floral cuffs to be absolutely beautiful.   I only wish I had the style to carry something like this off. I wouldn’t want to ruin my “conservative Katie” nickname by spiffying up an outfit with these fantastic pieces of jewelry…

 

I’ll let you guys have all the fun. 

 

Just head on over to Piperlime to check out these fabulous GS Lillian Floral Cuffs.  And if you end up getting one, be sure to tell me all about it so I can live vicariously through your coolness.

Signed,

Too conservative to be trendy

Christmas Gift Idea – Stationery

I’m one of those few people who loves the simplicity of letters.  Even though we live in a world of instant gratification by way of emails, texts, and tweets, there is something so sweet and thoughtful in writing and receiving a letter.

Oh…and I’m a total sucker for packaging. 

 

And these note cards are to die for.

I probably should admit I have an addiction to buying stationery.  Once I bought a box of stationery by Kate Spade simply because it read “watch less. write more.” It had an embossed tv set on the card. I was putty in its hands…

And  I’ve been a sucker for beautiful stationery ever since…