Sweet BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza is one of those things that I'm always sort of shocked by how easy it is. Every time I go to make it, I'm expecting some long, arduous process, and then it never actually is. In fact, making a pizza of your own takes about the same amount of time as ordering one and waiting for it to be delivered. It's just not hard.

Anyway. This pizza is an homage to sweet and smoky. I love BBQ pizza, and I decided to add some pineapple, just to make it a little more funky and yummy. To my surprise, this worked beautifully. 

Make this. Eat it while you watch Grey's Anatomy. Then come talk to me because that show is ruining my life.

Sweet BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
1 pizza dough
1 chicken breast, cubed and cooked
2/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pineapple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Spread out the pizza dough into your desired shape.
2. Spread sauce around the dough. Top with toppings, except for cilantro.
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Top with cilantro. Slice and serve.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon & Caramelized Onion

Hiiiiii. I'm back. I survived finals, after some blood sweat and tears. I had a merry Christmas and I hope all y'all did too. I'm home on break and have baked countless cookies and read too many fluffy YA novels.

I also made this:

I think most of us like a nice bowl of mac n cheese, right? And whether you prefer yours to be homemade or out of that cute little blue box, there's something comforting about it. It's delicious.

I can't leave well enough alone though, so I added some stuff to mine. Bacon. Beer. Caramelized onion. They sing in harmony and create a nice, savory blend of flavor. It's truly a delight, and was fun to eat while listening to Mariah sing about giving away her heart on Christmas.

I highly recommend making this. I mean, really, you deserve it.

Trashed-up Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
1 box macaroni, cooked and cooled
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dark beer**
1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dry mustard 1 lb cheddar cheese (I used half extra sharp and half medium)
5 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
1 onion, sliced thinly and caramelized (see below)

1. Start out by making a roux. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add the flour, stirring. Once thickened and slightly browned, add the beer, milk, and spices. Stir.
2. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture boils. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, then add cheese.
3. Stir until cheese has completely melted.
4. Add bacon and onion.
5. Carefully fold in pasta, then pour into a buttered casserole dish.
6. Bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees. The top will get brown and crunchy.

To caramelize onion:
Slice thinly, then add to a skillet with 1 tbsp butter or oil. I used the leftover bacon grease. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are nicely browned (not burned). This took about 20 minutes for me.

**if you don't want to use the beer, just add the same amount milk instead

What Should I Eat? 7

Let me tell you about this new, cute, little place that just popped up on University. It's called 3 Natives and I'm a fan. They have these little things you see above, called smoothie bowls. They're fresh, they're fruity, and the bottom is frozen, so it's like healthy (dairy-free) ICE CREAM. Me gusta mucho. The one I got had pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, and peanut butter. I wasn't sure how those flavors would gel with the granola and acai berry smoothie base, but it totally worked. I had mine for breakfast, and it was surprisingly filling. The only downside is that these are sorta expensive (like $8), considering what they are. However, I'll probably recreate them in my kitchen at some point, so get excited for that. In the mean time, splurge and get one of the ones from 3 Natives.

Thankful

So so many thanks.

Thankful for:

grace and mercy.

family.

my sweet boy.

being an RA and my beautiful, sweet, funny residents.

growing closer to all the friends I adore.

my university because even though it's hard at times, education is a gift.

food, glorious food.

this blog and anyone who takes the time to read each post.


Happy Thanksgiving, lovelies. Eat that extra piece of pie, you deserve it.

EPCOT Food & Wine

Hawaiian Kahlua Pulled Pork & Pineapple Chutney 

So. A couple weekends ago I did something y'all might think is a little weird. I went to EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival all. by. myself. And it was GLORIOUS. Yes, going to a theme park alone is sort of unusual, but so few of my friends have Disney tickets and the ones that did were busy. So I took myself on a little date to Disney, because the way I look at it is this: if you want someone to fall in love with you, you take them on dates. I'd like to fall in love with me, hence the date. Beautiful.

Anyway. I love this event. I'm not 21 and I don't drink, so for me it's just a food festival, but goodness, the food they serve is great. Pricey? Yes. But so worth it. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of everything I ate, but that would probably get boring anyway.

My favorite kiosk was definitely China. They had a beef slider that was fantastic.

The weird little dessert you see above was probably my favorite thing I ate all day. It's a chocolate truffle frozen in liquid nitrogen(!) and topped with caramel. It had an amazingly silky texture (think a really good chocolate mousse), and I was just so intrigued by the idea of eating food prepared with liquid nitrogen. Like, I've used that stuff in labs, but never in the kitchen.

This soup is an oldie but a goodie. It's Canadian cheese soup and I've eaten and even made it so many times, but I'd been craving it, so I bought some. Also, never fear, that little cup was filled to the brim at first, I just didn't snap a pic until I was half done.

Overall, let me just say this: Food & Wine is expensive and crowded, but in my opinion, it's a fantastic way to spend a day. Although I loved my solo time, I would recommend bringing a buddy so you can try twice as much food. Unfortunately, it ended last weekend, but honestly, it gets better every year. Start planning your trip now.

Chili

I'm baaaack! Sorry for disappearing like that, I was briefly swallowed up by exams. But now I'm back with a pot full of chilly weather (well, not if you live in Florida, good Lord) love.

When I make chili, I sort of just throw stuff into a pot until it looks or tastes right. I also like my chili garlicky and spicy. You can dial back either one and it should still be a good bowl of chili.

I served this with garlic bread because who doesn't like garlic bread? You can find the recipe in my very first post. Such a good combination. Love.

Also recommended: watch Hannibal while you eat this. That's what I did and it was a great decision.

Chili
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, diced
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 lbs ground beef
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (the bigger can, 24 oz)

1. Add the onion to the pot with the oil. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook another minute.
2. Add the ground beef, stirring to break it up into pieces.
3. When the meat is browned completely, add the beans and tomatoes. Stir.
4. Simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
   

What Should I Eat? 6

Look at this food. Oh my gosh. Go to the Flying Biscuit and get it all, as soon as possible. It's so freaking good. If you go on a weekend, call ahead, because there's usually about an hour wait. However, the above is a pancake with peach compote, grits, a biscuit, eggs, and bacon. The biscuits here are fantastic. They are huge and the texture is like a pillowy cloud. I like them with just butter, or they have homemade apple butter, which is also incredible. THE GRITS. Oh my goodness. If you're from the South, I'm sure you'll agree that restaurant grits are often lackluster. THESE ARE NOT. They are creamy and buttery and so good. Love.

I cannot recommend this place enough.

Fall Salmon Salad

After two or three weeks of sweet food, I finally have something savory, something light, something healthy. Look, veggies and fruits. Omega 3s. Protein. Hooray.

Caramelization. Praise.

So, we all know that when you fail an exam, oversleep, give a bad interview, Remember Me doesn't end the way you want it to....you don't want salad. You want chocolate. Preferably in ice cream form.

Speaking of which, does anyone else like the movie Remember Me? It's Robert Pattinson playing a character that doesn't sparkle, and I really like him. And the movie. It's sad though. And for whatever reason, I watch it even though I've seen it, and I just hope for a different ending. And eat candy. And cry.

Bottom line? This salad is really good. Maybe not comfort-you-when-you-cry good. But it's good.

Salmon Salad
Ingredients
1 salmon filet (I think mine was like 6 oz.? they sell them at the Publix counter)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
2/3 pear, sliced thin
3 handfuls spring mix (the lettuce stuff)
1/8 cup quinoa (not really necessary, but I like it a lot)
3 tbsp red onion
balsamic dressing
salt and pepper

1. Rub the mustard and syrup onto either side of the salmon.
2. Transfer the salmon to a pan over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes on the first side. Flip, then cook for about 4 minutes on the other.
3. Dice the cooked salmon, and add to a plate with the spring mix, pear, and quinoa.
4. Add the red onion to the pan (don't clean it between this and the salmon). Cook for about 3 minutes, until soft. Add to the salad.
5. Salt and pepper the salad and add dressing to taste. Enjoy!

Christmas in October!!

I got myself nice things and I'm excited to tell you about them. Hooray cookbooks.

The above is Rachel Khoo's My Little French Kitchen. I've decided that my next endeavor is going to be to learn to cook French food. I'm incredibly excited. Everything in this book is gorgeous, she's gorgeous, her book is gorgeous. I love it and can't wait to make it all. I ended up dog-earing basically every recipe. It's divided into chapters by region of France and I love that.

I also bought Julia Child's books. Don't worry, I'm not about to go all Julie & Julia on you (even though that movie is totally worth your time), but I do sort of think it would be fun to cook all the way through these. They start at the bottom and work up, teaching you all the basics. Love.

I love food. I love cookbooks. Kimmie out.

As American As...

Being my friend is sort of weird and also sort of fun (I hope). You end up getting texts asking "hey, do you like {insert whatever thing I made way too much of}?" and then if you say yes, I appear at your apartment with whatever the thing is. Or I invite you to come over and eat with me. Because the fact of the matter is, I love cooking, I love food. But I don't eat enough to finish whatever the thing is usually. So I cook, I eat my portion, then I text people and give them my food. What a time to be alive.

Does apple pie smell like autumn to anyone else? As soon as I started peeling apples and sprinkling cinnamon, it was like the spirit of autumn had entered the kitchen and joined me.

While it was in the oven, I felt so cozy and warm. Apple pie is a gift, friends. Give it to yourself. You deserve it.

As for that crust? I bought one. I feel a little guilty, considering that I can make a homemade crust. But I didn't have the time or desire or materials. So instead I bought one. Don't hate me. Use any crust recipe you want, or buy one like I did.

Apple Pie
Ingredients
1 pie crust (like a top and bottom one)
4 Granny Smith apples (about a pound)
1 2/3 cups sugar + 1 tbsp
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flour
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp milk

1. Peel the apples and slice them thinly.
2. Place in a bowl and add the 1 2/3 cups of sugar, cinnamon, flour and lemon juice. Stir gently until apples are coated. Let sit for ten minutes.
3. Put filling into crust. Add top crust.
4. Slice vents into the crust. Brush with milk and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top.
5. Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

S'more Pull Apart Bread

So, I'm in a phase of my life where I bake things at odd hours. This bread was made at midnight. And it's delicious. I then realized that I didn't need to eat the entire loaf, so I took it to Bible study the next night, where it was devoured very quickly.

Guys, this bread is gooey and sweet and sticky and wonderful. I highly recommend making it. You won't be able to eat a ton of it; it's very rich, but you'll want to. It's so good. 

Pull apart breads have been all over Pinterest for the last few years, so I'm sure you've seen them. But I decided I wanted one that was different. Chocolate, with a little buttery crunch. And then this happened. Make it, eat it, share it, love it. Treat yourself.

S'more Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
1 pizza dough (like the Pillsbury kind)
1 stick butter (I like salted)
6 graham crackers
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

1. Line a loaf pan with foil, making an overhang on each side. Melt the butter and drizzle about half of it in the foil, making sure it gets into the corners/on the sides.
2. Unroll the dough and pour on the remaining butter, spreading it all over.
3. Crush the graham crackers, leaving some larger crumbles too. Scatter around the dough.
4. Add the chocolate and marshmallows to the dough.
5. Cut the dough into twelve rectangles. 
6. To get them into the pan, I propped mine on its little side and then stacked the pieces. This gets sort of messy, but you can do it.
7. Scatter any spilled toppings on the top of the bread.
8. Bake at 425 for 17 minutes. Enjoy!

What Should I Eat? 5

I think the lesson at this point is this: if you get food with me at a local place, you will end up being mentioned on my blog. I went to La Tienda on Wednesday night with my friend Sarah, and here we are discussing that now.

La Tienda is small, and I feel like it's not super well known? That being said, the people that know it, LOVE IT. I have fallen into that camp. 

So, some pro tips: the menu is huge and semi-overwhelming for indecisive people like me. I like their burritos because they're huge, like two meals usually. That being said, I don't eat very much, so it might not be the best estimate for you. I like the carne asada (steak), and they come with beans and rice on them too. Get the chips and salsa. They're delicious, and the salsa tastes great on burritos. Those sauces you see up top? I don't think the green one is all that spicy, but the red certainly is. Both are tasty.

There's also not much parking at this place? So I guess just pray for parking. I recommend going during the week or at least during the day. Weekend nights don't go so well. Have fun.

Carrot Cake

Caaaaaaaake

My mom's birthday was earlier this week, and as always, she requested carrot cake. This is the recipe we've been using for years and years, developed to perfection.

Batter full of chunks.

My dad and I adapted it from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, and have been working to perfect it for the last I-don't-even-know-how-many years, which has been hard since neither of us actually like this cake.

And now, here it is. It's moist, it's chunky. I frost it with cream cheese frosting because that's what my mama likes. Do what you wish, but that's how we do it 'round here.

Carrot Cake
adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups shredded carrot
1 cup golden raisins
6 oz walnuts, chopped

frosting
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Stir together dry cake ingredients.
2. Blend in oil.
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Stir in all other cake ingredients.
5. Pour into two 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
6. For frosting, blend together all ingredients until smooth.
7. After cake has cooled, frost and serve.

Happy birthday Mom!

A Few of my {current} Favorite Things 2

1. Yoga. It's relaxing. It's energizing. It's fantastic.
2. These cookies. Chai tea is one of my favorite things and oh my gosh. Can't wait to make these.
3. This cake. Wow.
4. This pasta.
5. Sweet tea.
6. This video series. I'm not really sure why watching them make drinks is so satisfying, but it is.
7. Culver's. It's a burger place, apparently from Wisconsin? But it's delightful.
8. Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. It was BOGO last week. Praise.
9. BLT fried rice. So weird, so intriguing.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Oh my gosh you guys.

So. As of late, if you invite me to your apartment, there's about a 87% chance that I'll end up a) sleeping, b) studying, c) cooking, or, in the case of my best friend's apartment this weekend, d) all three. Yeah. I'm a lot of fun.

Yes, this is going into the potatoes.

While these might not sound like ideal weekend plans or make me seem like the most fun friend to have around, sometimes it results in fantastic things like these sweet potatoes.

Um, yeah. I'm in love with them. Basically, it's fall now, so you can brace yourself for too many a lot of sweet potato recipes up in here. They smell and taste like Thanksgiving to me, and I love them.

Best friends that cook together stay together.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
4 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (or at least broken up)
marshmallows

1. Poke holes into the potatoes with a fork, then bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how big they are).
2. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly until they are still warm but you can handle them.
3. Slice each potato down the middle, but not all the way through. You want to keep the "shells" intact.
4. Scoop out the "meat" of each potato into a bowl, mash with a fork.
5. Add half the butter, all of the maple syrup and 2 tsps of the cinnamon. Mash together.
6. Carefully spoon the potato mixture back into the little potato shells.
7. Melt the remaining butter and combine with the brown sugar and remaining cinnamon. Add mixture to each potato.
8. Top with as many marshmallows as your heart desires.
9. Turn on the broiler and put the potatoes back into the oven until the marshmallows get nicely browned. This takes about a minute, but it goes quickly, so you should just turn the oven light on and watch it happen.

What Should I Eat? 4

Praise.

Let me just tell you about a lovely place to get Asian food: Bento. It's not exclusively a Gainesville thing, but it is a north-ish Florida thing. It's so good, I'm telling you.

What you see above is the spicy cream chicken noodle bowl. Despite its name, it's not particularly spicy, so don't let that intimidate you. The sauce was creamy and sweet but also savory. Also, I'm not sure if you can tell just how big that bowl of food is, but that was easily two meals for me. It was only $8, for TWO MEALS. Yes.

If you're a UF student, make sure you show ID at the Archer road location. They'll upgrade you to a combo meal for free and you can get some of the wonderful edamame you see above. Edamame is really fun to eat, you should try it.

Go to Bento. You won't regret it.

Burgers

Aaaaaand we're rounding out summer time with a nice classic. I wasn't planning on putting normal, run-of-the-mill burgers on the blog, but after talking to some friends I realized that apparently a lot of college students don't know how to make them? So I just would like you all to realize that these aren't that hard to make and also are cheaper and yummier than the weirdly circular ones you get out of the freezer.

A lot of people, like Bobby Flay, HATE stuff like chopped onion or whatever in their burgers. But I don't like Bobby Flay and I do like stuff in my burgers. It adds so much flavor and texture. You deserve it.

Burgers
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
salt and pepper
buns and any condiments you want

1. Combine all ingredients. I just sort of smash it all together with my hands.
2. Shape patties. You can just sort of mush together the meat into ovals and make a little well in the center so the patties stay flat during cooking.
3. Put into a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, allowing a crust to form. Flip, cook for 3 minutes on the other side. I like my burgers cooked to medium well, and that's what these times are for. Cook more or less depending on your preferences.
4. Serve with buns and toppings of choice.

What Should I Eat? 3

Um, yes.

Need good BBQ in the Gainesville area? I've got you. Please please please go try Four Rivers. Like right now. It will actually make your day better. I promise.

I went to Four Rivers the first time the other day with my sweet best friend. Not only was it lovely to spend time together, the food was AMAZING. If you're from the south, I'm sure you're fairly picky about your BBQ. I am. As such, I wasn't sure I'd like it, but oh my gosh. I have zero complaints.

We both got pulled pork sandwiches, and the meat itself was really good, with a nice smoky flavor, and the sauce was the right balance of sweet and smoky and tangy. That being said, it's the side dishes that really take the cake. I had mac n cheese and baked beans and wow. They were both fantastic.

This place also has the GOOD ICE. If you don't know what I mean, go, and you'll see. (I mostly just couldn't get a good picture, but anyway...) So delicious.

French Toast Breakfast Sandwiches

I realized that I hadn't posted a breakfast recipe yet. To make up for that momentary lapse, I made you this. It's a sandwich that will make your life better.

Praise.

Yes, I feel a little silly about posting a sandwich recipe, but this one is special. The bread part is FRENCH TOAST. So good. We also have bacon, egg, and a Dijon syrup sauce. Seriously incredible.

Yaaaaaaas.

This will brighten up any morning, I promise. No matter what time you had to get up for class, this will make it better. Get ready.

French Toast Breakfast Sandwiches
Ingredients
2 1-inch thick slices of day-old challah bread (or French, or any other sturdy bread)
3 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Dijon mustard (with the specks, aka stone-ground)
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 slices bacon, fried

1. Whisk together two of the eggs, the milk, and the cinnamon. Place the bread slices in the mixture.
2. After two minutes, flip the slices, allow to soak for another two minutes.
3. Heat a pan over medium heat, add butter. Cook the toast for two minutes per side, until brown and crisp on either side.
4. Combine the mustard and syrup. Drizzle as much as is desired onto one or both slices of toast.
5. Cook the egg however you like; I fried mine over medium. Add the egg to the sandwich, then top with the other piece of toast.
6. Slice in half and enjoy.

My Food {and exercise} Philosophy

It's pretty simple, actually. I only eat when I'm hungry, only continue eating until full, and I only eat food I like. That's all.

That being said, I don't go completely crazy. I try to maintain a semi-healthy diet, limiting my sugar intake and eating vegetables and protein on a regular basis. But in my mind, life is too short to be worried about eating a doughnut. Yeah, you shouldn't eat the whole dozen, but I don't have time to mentally berate myself for the indulgence. It tastes good, and I'm allowed to enjoy my food. It just comes down to moderation.

Additionally, I don't strictly adhere to any "food rules", such as a number of carbs I'm limited to each day. I'm more concerned with eating food that will keep me fuller, longer. As a college student, meal times aren't a regular thing, and often they are very spaced out. I know that eating bagels doesn't keep me as full as peanut butter will, so I keep that in mind when I make breakfast. Chicken salad keeps me fuller than chips. Salad makes me feel better than French fries.

Am I trying to tell you that I am the pinnacle of healthy eating? Ha. Not at all. But I like to think that I'm doing a decent job. I don't have an achievement-oriented relationship with food, so I don't worry too much. Food is not the type of thing that should ever center around achievement. It's not an option, it's a necessity. That's why I hate calorie counting. If you're hungry, eat!

As far as exercise goes, I try not to adhere to any strict guidelines with that, either. Personally, I am incredibly achievement-oriented, and this tends to result in obsessive behavior and feelings of failure whenever I define success in any area of my life. In the area of exercise, this often leads to me ending up either injured or sick. It also sucks the fun out of the activity.

When I exercise, about 80% of the reason really is the mental benefits. I am a person who is full of stress and in desperate need of an outlet. I do yoga because it's pretty much the only time my frenetic mind grinds to a stop and finds peace. I also love cycling, running, and swimming, which calm my anxiety in a completely different way. When I do cardio, I spend a lot of time screaming in my head ("SWIM FASTER, PUSH HARDER, JUST DO IT"). It gets my aggression out. Yeah, the physical benefits of working out are great. But the mental benefits are more important to me.

I love feeling strong and confident, and I also love food. So I work out, and I eat food I enjoy. And it keeps me happy. I don't obsess over either one. There's so much more to life.

Peaches n Cream Milkshakes

I love the aesthetic.

These are a good way to celebrate making it through the first couple weeks of classes. The transition from talking about syllabi to actual, real course work is always sort of disorienting for me. These will make that better.

Love.

These aren't overly peachy, you can definitely taste the "n cream" part. If you get lucky and actually find the rare, coveted, amazing peaches, I'm jealous. The ones I had weren't bad....but they could've been better. I wish you luck. I know it's late in the season.

Karen makes a great hand model.

Peaches n Cream Milkshakes

Ingredients

2 peaches, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup milk

2 cups vanilla ice cream

whipped cream

1. Put everything except the whipped cream into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and add a swoosh of whipped cream. Yay.

A Few of My {current} Favorite Things

A post in which I talk about the things I'm oh so in love with as of late. Mostly food related, because I actually don't do much other than eat or study.

Have a magical day!

1. This cake from How Sweet Eats. I haven't made it yet, but oh my gosh it looks beautiful and I need it ASAP.
2. Guac. So much guac. Must keep making it while avocados are sort of still in season.
3. Boba Tea. My love for this stuff may never end. Goodness gracious. If you're in the Gainesville/UF area, hit up Lollicup or Kung Fu Tea. Praise.
4. Law and Order: SVU. Sorry not sorry. There's new seasons on Netflix. I can't stop.
5. These biscuits from Joy the Baker. Lord have mercy they are beautiful.
6. The saying "Lord have mercy". It's my favorite Southern-ism, mainly because people from the deep south drawl it together and it just sounds like "Lord-a-mercy".
7. MAC lipstick in Pink Pigeon. It's a bright blue-ish pink, great if you're whiter than white, like I am.
8.                                         
   Popcorn from this dinosaur of a popper. It's an old style air popper that was my dad's in college and is now mine. Love.
9. Being an RA. I love it.
10. Cupcakes from Bakers Royale. Um, yes please.
11. Instagram. Follow me at KimmiesKitchen. (yes, that was a shameless plug.)