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The Super Bowl Event

Every year, mid January, all of a sudden, as if some miraculous transformation has taken place, I am aware of what is happening in the world of football.  I can’t explain this, as I don’t follow football throughout the season.  But I’m happy to jump aboard and take part in the fun.

This year, to celebrate Super Bowl LII, LB invited some friends over to watch the game and eat.

 

Laurie and Wayne

Debbie and Ray

Clearly none of us are skilled in the use of photo booth props.

 

 

We had great food provided by everyone.  It was the usual party food such as an assortment of chips, dip and salsa, veggie platter, Hot WINGS, brownies and cookies.  There were also special treats like the smoked pork sliders, courtesy of Ray and Debbie, and buffalo cauliflower prepared by Laurie.

I was particularly excited about my

Jalapeno Popper Football Cheese Ball

It was a great big mess to prepare, but I thought it tasted delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy it

This is how I made it:

 

  • Using my Kitchen Aid mixer, I combined 16 oz. softened cream cheese, 8 oz. shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño, 3 Tbsp. chopped onion, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.  It took a couple of minutes to mix everything together.
  • Once combined, I scooped out the cheese mixture and placed it on a piece of parchment.
  • Using cling wrap (so I didn’t have to touch the cheesy mess), I formed it into a football shape.
  • In a pan I fried 4 slices of bacon until crispy then placed on a paper towel to cool and then be broken into bits.
  • Using the same pan and a little bit of the bacon grease, I added 1/3 cup of Panko bread crumbs and lightly toasted, stirring  for about a minute or two until golden.
  • Next I covered the cheese ball with the toasted Panko and bacon bits, pressing firmly onto the cheese ball.
  • For the laces, I used a slice of pepper jack cheese.

 

And this is why I’m dieting hard today.

If you would like the original recipe, you can find it here on someone else’s blog.

 

 

One of the highlights of the program was the singing of the

National Anthem

by Pink, who had the flu, and still sang beautifully.

I was happy to see that many of the players showed respect.

It is worth watching:

 

 

Everyone was pulling for the Eagles initially.

With a final score of 41 to 33, the Eagles beat the Patriots and won their first Super Bowl title.

Fly Eagles Fly!

And we had a Great Time!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

XO

 

LB’s Spectacular Sunday Breakfast

As far as I am concerned

Breakfast

is the most important meal of the day!

Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and keep the weight off.  One reason could be because eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps your appetite in check (source).  I believe it has more to do with when you eat than what you eat.  My belief comes from my own experience as a career Diet Diva. 

This article will explain how meal timing can affect the body’s internal clock, alter nutrient metabolism, and affect heart health (source).  If you’re interested.

Since one of the major factors that influence our health and weight is WHEN we eat, I do most of my noshing early in the day…

beginning with breakfast.

As a special treat, every Sunday I like to start the day by presenting LB with a special breakfast (or sometimes brunch).

While I have made Eggs Benedict, a variety of waffles, and other clever creations, typically I will fry

shredded hash browns laced with red pepper flakes

and serve them with a

fried egg

bacon

and

pumpernickel toastunless we’re out, then the toast will be Sunbeam white.

LB calls this

“LB’s Spectacular Sunday Breakfast”

While this type of high carbohydrate morning meal will not encourage weight loss, it is delicious (or so he tells me).And he loves it!

On this particular A.F.C. Championship Sunday, it would prove to be very important that EVERYONE have a hearty breakfast to help them perform their VERY BEST.

Oh If Only

I could have made breakfast for our beloved Jaguars…

I may not have found myself weeping at sunset.

It’s okay fellas… now that we know you have it in you, we’ll be pulling for you all the more next season!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Yeah, that’s right… I’m a fair weather fan.

Don’t judge.

Christmas Candy Crush

This

 Candy Crush

has nothing to do with the sweet adventure of Tiffi and Mr. Toffee through the wonderful Candy Kingdom. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

My candy crush involves an activity I love… creating my annual assortment of Christmas treats. Typically I will include about five kinds of goodies, mostly candies, and will without fail involve divinity, dark chocolate fudge and sugar cookies.

I expected to begin on Saturday.

This was my plan:

For my first installment, I attempted to make

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

They are supposed to look like this

Sadly, the consistency of what was supposed to be “like pie crust dough”, was not. (Love how LB catches every moment)

It baffled me because I am accustomed to having success with this recipe.

Although I may appear to not have a clue,  I have made peanut butter pinwheels in the past with no trouble at all. LB suggested that I start over. Being stubborn as I typically am, I wasn’t about to throw 2 pounds of confectioner’s sugar away, so I improvised. Since the ingredients are basically the same ingredients used to make Buckeyes,
each “pinwheel” was lovingly rolled into a little peanut butter ball and placed on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator.

These are currently being stored in the freezer, until I have time to dip them in chocolate.

Although that turned into a royal pain, I am confident it will turn out to be a tasty treat.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making

Divinity

My Mema Reid taught me how to make divinity many years ago.

That time with her and her recipe will forever be in my memory.

However it would be wonderful if I had it in her own handwriting, like this recipeIsn’t that sweet?

Mema’s Divinity recipe is similar to Paula Deen’s recipe.

Mema was of the mind that it is impossible to make divinity on a rainy day and/or without a helper.

For the past few years Amanda has been my helper.

She recently asked when we were going to get together for divinity making, but due to our schedules, this will be my last entry into the assortment, and just barely in time for Christmas.
The sugar cookies will also have to be scheduled for late in the holiday season, as I will be needing Stephanie to help with the frosting/decorating.

LB is looking forward to that day, as he is the official beater licker.

My recipe for

Dark Chocolate Fudge

is the easiest recipe for fudge that I’ve come across yet. Thanks to Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk and a little book of recipes that I found in 1988. 

It is so easy, as a matter of fact, I’m going to make it right now.

Done!

For the rest of my collection of goodies, I’ll be making

Magic Cookie Bars

(also an eagle brand recipe found years ago)

because Wendy mentioned that she likes these (not that she’ll actually eat any).

and last but not least

Rum Balls

because they smell good.

Now that I have a definite Christmas Goodie Plan…

time to embrace the fat kid within!

Nights of Lights

LB and I headed to St. Augustine yesterday afternoon in hope of seeing the city lit up with holiday lights later that evening.    As I’ve mentioned time and time again, St. Augustine is a favorite place I frequently visit.  Beginning November 18th and continuing through January 31st it is an especially lovely place to visit.

  The 24th Annual

Nights of Lights

dazzles the city of St. Augustine as approximately three million lights adorn the Plaza de la Constitucion and other areas of the historic district.

However, until the sun goes down, it is nice to find something to do to pass the time.

Did someone say SHOPPING?

If I have already passed the St. Augustine Premium Outlet, the shops on Saint George Street are my next choice.  There aren’t as many stores to chose from, but H.W. Davis Clothing and Shoes never disappoints.  Recently a few other shops have become worth exploring as well.

On this particular trip, there was less shopping, and more sightseeing.  I discovered a couple of buildings under construction in the Saint George street vicinity that are likely new restaurants or shops coming to the area.  In addition, I discovered a few places that may not be new, but are new to me.  For example the

Colonial Oaks Music Park

a rustic performance and event venue complete with a stage and picnic tables.  There is an oak, as the name suggests, in the center of the park.  Its branches are spread over the picnic tables offering shade in the summer and a place to hang lanterns and lights.

 Obviously there is no one on stage, but it looks to be a nice place to relax and enjoy a band or a show.  I’m sure LB and I will be back.

Once the sun set, it was time to check out the holiday display.

The Plaza de la ConstitucionFlagler CollegeThe Discoverer of Florida…

Juan Ponce de Leon landed near this spot 1513. This festive fellow…And a photo op in Santa’s sleigh…

Nights of Lights is a great opportunity to grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the dazzling display with someone you love.

Thank you for the holiday cheer LB!

I’m looking forward to another Christmas season with you (on your left arm).

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

St. Simons Shopping

LB and I enjoyed our Saturday visit to Jekyll Island’s Merry Shrimpmas.

We visit the island often, but will typically stay at the Hampton on St. Simons Island.  Sunday morning started with a quick Hampton breakfast.

Mixed fruit.

  Then onto a quick shopping trip.

Last spring I published a post about how a shopping excursion in the Golden Isles ended with a stop at

White House Black Market

This time it began with a shopping excursion at White House Black Market…

which turned out to be a good idea!Thanks LB!

This pretty sweater caught my eye before I walked through the door.

So I headed straight for it; and Yes, it is very pretty.  An on trend blush colored, at-the-shoulder sweater featuring a  velvet bow in the back.

You can see it online here.  It is officially on my wish list along with a perfectly matching pair of jeans that look like this…

Sadly, they aren’t to be found online in my size, but if you wear a 16W + check them out… they are so cute!  I’m not a fan of destructed jeans, but these have rose gold sequins peeking through.  I’ll probably be heading to WHBM to find my size soon.  While I’m there I’ll be looking for this blouse.

It was on the sale rack… a lonely size ZERO.  As you can see, it is too tight.  I’m hoping another store will have one in a more comfortable size.

There were many treasures to be found in the sale section.  One of my favorites was this pretty little outfit…The jeans that were paired with the floral top were not quite as cute as another pair I came across.

These floral embroidered cuffed jeans…

And I thought this blouse would also pair nicely with those jeans..

This one is a keeper!

Unfortunately it is not to be found online…

but this Ruffle-Sleeve blouse can be found here.

(Can’t help myself, I have to touch everything)

This St. Simons shopping trip ended well for me.  I walked out with a pretty little package.And I was a happy girl!

Until LB took that pretty little package away from me and told me we were saving it for Christmas.

 

 

Here’s looking forward to Christmas!

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

 

 

An Eventful Thanksgiving Weekend

It may have started slowly, but it turned out to be an eventful Thanksgiving weekend.

When I left the office on Wednesday night, I drove straight home, closed the door behind me, and didn’t go out again until

Black Friday

Since there were plenty of leftovers from my Sunday before Thanksgiving Dinner, which we had been enjoying ALL week, we stayed in on Thanksgiving Day.  After 48 hours, cabin fever had set in and we were ready to get out of the house.

I could barely stand the light.

LB and I went to Whiskey Jax Beaches location to hear Sidewalk 65 and enjoy something besides turkey and dressing.

Shrimpmas Saturday

In September 2017, due to hurricane Irma, the 12th annual Shrimp & Grits Festival was cancelled.  In an effort to bring the festival to their community before year end, Jekyll Island merged the Shrimp & Grits Festival and the Tree Lighting celebration into a new, two-day event they called Merry Shrimpmas.  On Saturday afternoon, LB and I packed up and headed to the Golden Isles to spend the remainder of our weekend.

And it was cool enough to wear my new furry vest!

We arrived at the airport just before sunset then set out to walk the 1.5 miles to the festival.  My FitBit loved it!  We ended the day with 22,745 steps.

It was a beautiful evening for a walk.  I enjoyed it.  LB enjoyed it.  The gnats enjoyed it.

Despite the insect assault, we stopped to enjoy the sunset.

My cameraman likes to capture every moment.


There were many potential souvenirs and possible Christmas gifts in the artists’ market.

And everything was lit up and decorated beautifully for the Merry Shrimpmas festival.

It was a lovely ending to an eventful Thanksgiving weekend.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

 

 

 

 

Date Night Outfit :: Blouse (similar), Faux Leather Leggings, Shoes (similar)

Festival Outfit :: Furry Vest (similar), Knit Top, Jeans, Shoes

 

Disney Bound

About a year ago I read a blog post about:

What to Wear to Disney World

The post began with a lesson on proper amusement park footwear.  Next was provided advice on what type of  bag/backpack to carry.  The same post went on to include various summertime outfits that were very cute.  It was very informative and well written.

This week we experienced Magic Kingdom Monday in my family; I couldn’t help but remember the “What to Wear to Disney World” post.  However, when it comes to planning what to wear when visiting the Amusement Park, no one has it figured out like my sister and her family.Gina recently introduced me the the concept of

Disneybounding

For anyone who isn’t familiar with that concept, Disneybounding is a subdued, yet fashion-forward way for Disney fans to express their enthusiasm.

Although you likely had not considered this, there are rules and regulations that must be followed in order to obtain admission to the park.  Besides having a ticket, you must not disregard Disney’s prohibited activities.  One of these prohibited activities is dressing in costume; i.e. “engaging with other guests or impeding the operation while posing as or portraying any character in costume” (source) unless you’re under the age of 14.  Because fans aren’t permitted to dress up as these much loved characters, a sub-culture of fashion has arisen.  Instead of wearing costumes, Disneybounders dress in everyday outfits that are inspired by any particular Disney character within the Disney universe.

Here are some fun examples:

Stuart inspired by Aladdin posing with Minnie Mouse.

Here Levi strikes a fierce pose as little Mickey Mouse.

Sydney and Dillon are Minnie and Mickey inspired.

Sydney channeling a gloomy Eeyore.

And on another occasion a lovely Disney Princess.

Here Stuart is inspired by a character I couldn’t place.  When I asked Gina, she told me to “guess”.

I think Stuart’s inspiration may have come from GOOFY, but my apologies if I’m wrong!

Stuart has always been creative, but I believe my favorite creative character re-creation came from Hei Hei.

Good job Stu!

The baby girls in the family are little princesses and both Lydia and Thea dressed as Belle on our recent trip to the Magic Kingdom.It appears that Levi is impressed.

In addition to Disneybounding, there is another Disney fashion trend that is timeless.

The donning of the

Mouse Ears

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This season produced a particular favorite: the coveted rose gold sequined Minnie Mouse ears.

I considered several possibilities for a part in the Disneybounding experience on our recent trip, but I’m not as flamboyant as I would like to be, and opted for a simple tee shirt.

That’s Me!

 

 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

 

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