I SEE REVIEWS IN MY VERY NEAR FUTURE

I promise I will get the product reviews back on track people. I've just been busy lately!

TWO UPCOMING REVIEWS TO LOOK FORWARD TO...

LAAAAATE SLIP

I know it's been a while...ELIZABETH. So, here we go. This is just a little something to tide you over until I have something cool to write about- like my next review for example. CREST WHITENING STRIPS! Do they or do they not work? Well, I'll have that answer for you as soon as I open the box and actually use them. HAHA. In the meantime, here are a few Christmas gifts that I got from the big guy that I absolutely LOVE! Good job, Ror.

ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITES

This stuff is out of this world. I've been drinking the low sodium V8's for a couple weeks now, and wanted to "spice" it up a little bit (pun intended) so I bought these. Jackpot! They aren't crazy spicy, but they do the job AAAND one 5.5 ouce can has a full serving of vegetables! If you like your tomato juice with a kick- go out and buy these STAT. Yummo.

RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER CUPCAKES!

Gotta give props to my sister, Fiona, for these awesome cupcakes she made for a Christmas party she was attending this weekend! They turned out great! The "how to" is pretty simple...

Buy a box of cake mix. Make cupcakes as directed.

Use:

-chocolate icing for fur

-pretzels twists for antlers

-mini marshmallows for eyes

-vanilla wafer for the snout

-M&M for the nose

-black decorative icing for reindeer pupils (and to "glue" nose to snout)

And there you have it! These are simple to make and are sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday parties! Good job, Fi!

FRIDAY FACTOID!!

Here is something you may find particularly interesting!

The experiment is as follows...

Place a chair with the seat part facing against a wall. Stand about two feet from the wall behind the chair. Put your head against the wall so that there is a 90-degree angle between your head and wall, hips and thighs, feet and floor. Without bending your knees and keeping you feet planted at all times, lean over, pick up the chair with both hands, and stand up straight while holding the chair.

If you are a women- you completed this experiment without much trouble at all.

If you are a man....you FAILED. It is essentially impossible for a man to accomplish this seemingly simple feat.

Ta-DA!

And that my friend is your FRIDAY FACTOID!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

1.) Tresemme Anti-Breakage Shampoo & Conditioner

Tresemme is my favorite brand of all-time. Nothing compares. I listed the Anti-breakage line as my favorite, but honestly- they're all very good. The line for color treated hair, curly hair, straight hair, heat protecting...it doesn't matter. These shampoo and conditioners always make my hair soft and shiny and they smell DIVINE!



2.) Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil:

This stuff is like heaven in a bottle...especially in the cold winter months. I've tried more moisturizing shower gels and body lotions than I can count, but NOTHING works as well as this baby oil. After you're finished in the shower- squirt the oil in your palm, rub your hands together, and smooth over legs, arms, neck, chest stomach, and wherever else you get especially dry. I don't normally rinse it off, but if you don't feel clean unless you rinse- just do a real quick rinse. You don't want to rinse this completely off or it defeats the purpose. You will see/feel smoother, softer skin as soon as your first application!


3.) Serious Skin Care- Glycolic Cleanser or Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

Right now, I'm totally addicted to the Glycolic Cleanser, which you can purchase on http://www.hsn.com/!! It clears up my skin, leaves it soft and doesn't ovely dry it out. However, if you're not in the habit of ordering products online, or just don't want to spend $20 for facial cleanser- I would definitely recommend the Aveeno Skin Brightening Scrub. It has little exfoliating granules in it that get rid of dead skin cells and evens out skin tones. It also has a light fresh scent, and can be found at any drug store or supermarket for less than half the price of the Glycolic Cleanser!



4.) L'oreal Advanced Revitalift Complete Day Lotion, Anti-wrinkle & Firming Moisturizer

I use this product after using my cleanser. I have really sensitive skin and this works wonders without clogging up my pores. It also has ingredients for anti-aging and firming so it's basically like a two in one!! I only wash my face once a day...at night before bed. I know it's a day cream, but I haven't found a night cream that I like yet. Most of them make me break out. They're usually much too thick and make my face look really greasy when I wake up in the morning. So, I'm sticking to what works best for me. Love this stuff!


5.) Sephora Endless Color Blockbuster

I think the picture speaks for itself. It's like eyeshadow, mascara, liners, blush, and lip gloss heaven!!!! Quality makeup. GREAT price. $48! Find this product at Sephora store locations or online. Click here for the link!

STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE...AND HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Over my long holiday weekend I found time to make stuffed shells for the first time. They came out pretty good if I do say so myself!

Ingredients
1/2 of a 12-ounce box of jumbo pasta shells (about 18 shells)
2 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (divided into 1 cup each)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 (26-ounce) jar Italian pasta sauce

1/2 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS olive oil

Frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dried (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pasta shells to the water. Boil the pasta shells until they are tender, but still a little firm (al dente), about 10 minutes. While the water is boiling, toss 1 TB oil, minced onion and garlic in skillet over medium heat until onions become soft, translucent and fragrant- about 5 minutes. Scrape out of skillet and let cool.

When pasta is done, drain the shells, run under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together: the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, the onion and garlic mixture, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon balck pepper, oregano, and parsley.

Pour 1 TB olive oil in casserole 9x12 casserole dish and spread around. Then pour about 1 cup of pasta sauce and spread that around to cover the bottom of the dish.

Spoon heaping tablespoons of the ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell. I added the spinach to the mixture at the end to make about 7 spinach and ricotta shells.

Place the filled shells, side by side, (I fit three lengthwise rows of 7 shells per row), into the casserole dish.

Spoon the remaining pasta sauce, and remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the shells.

Bake uncovered until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

SERIOUS SKIN CARE...PROBLEM.

p.s. just for the record....i've been going to bed really late this past week because of the painting and home improving. So I haven't used my cleanser for like- a week, and my face has broken out! I got a monster on my chin!!! Moral of this story? Gotta get back on the regimen...STAT! the end.

CHRISTMAS CRAFT IDEAS

I'm hosting the family Christmas dinner this year and I want the whole experience to be really special....I'm talkin'- from the decorating to the menu. Afterall, it's all in the details. Unfortunately, because this is only our second Christmas in the house, we haven't accumulated enough decorations to really make an impact. Ah, who am I kidding? All we have are Christmas lights- not to mention, a very small....tiny...miniscule budget. This financial glitch could deter others from achieving their winter wonderland theme goal, but not this crafty lady. You can doll up any room for very little money if you have a pair of scissors, a glue gun, and a free weekend. I started searching the internet and i found this AWESOME website for a magazine called Family Fun. 10 issue for $10 by the way. Here are 3 DIY projects that caught my eye. I LOOOOOOOOVE the trinket tree, or should I say- my NEW Christmas dinner table centerpiece!

SHIMMERING SHELFSICLES

WRAPPING PAPER STARS

TRINKET TREE

IF I HAD BALLS...

I'd get this haircut...minus the purple streaks. Based on past experiences, those bright chunks of color like red and purple- fade really fast and end up looking dry and dull unless you touch them up frequently.

But man, how about this haircut, huh? Sharp...

Soooo, we moved into our house on July 27, 2009- and I just got around to painting the back bedroom. I guess it makes sense since we don't use the back bedroom. It's easy to walk past it...especially when the door is closed and you don't have to look at the plastic drop clothes, bare walls, scraps of wallpaper, and plaster dust covering the orange carpet. Yeah, I said it. Orange carpet. I chose to paint the walls brown. Brown and orange kind of compliment each other. Uh, I guess. I noticed the walls were kind of dark when the 1st coat dried, but by channeling the interior designer within- I figured I could counter balance the darkness with bright pops of color all over the room later. After I slather on the second coat, rearrange the the furniture, and vacuum- I will reward myself for all the hard work with BEDDING!!!!! OOOWW!!! In closing-I have to thank my brother, Seamus, for the motivation to finally finish this project. We were in my sister's wedding this past weekend (which by the way- was AWEEEEEEEEEESOME!!), and he and his girlfriend ended up having to sleep over my house afterwards. And since there was nowhere else to sleep...I had to stick them back in that construction zone against my will. So, that was embarrassing. Granted, he's a 19 year old so he could've cared less. But either way, it inspired me to move my fat ass! It's really coming along. More pics to come.

THE LIGHTBULB VASE...a future craft project!

Not sure about you guys, but I love me some crafts, and easy "do-it-yourself" projects. In fact, I'm gonna start incorporating those into this blog very soon cause I've been feeling pretty crafty lately. I may not know much, but I DO know that when you get that feeling- you should never repress your creative juices from 'a flowin'. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is this. I was surfing the web and came across this website called "Unplggd: Smarter Home. Fewer Wires." They've come up with a really cool DIY project involving a bud vase made out of....well, a bulb. A LIGHT bulb to be exact. It's chic, modern looking, and no doubt a guaranteed conversation starter if you choose to attempt one of your own! Click here to check it out! I LOVE it!

PRODUCT REVIEW UPDATE

Hey again. So, I bought this stuff called Serious Skin Glycolic Cleanser back in May. But, in traditional Katie fashion, I probably got distracted by some other cool thing I saw on an infommercial and forgot that it was sitting in my medicine cabinet. Well, I was admiring myself in the mirror this past weekend...haha. Sike. I was brushing my teeth over the weekend and noticed my skin in the mirror...all ruddy and broken out and remembered I had this product and hadn't really given it a fair shot. Soooooo, I started using it on Sunday, and have been using it faithfully ever since. It's only been 4 days, but I swear I can see a difference. Luckily, I took a "before" picture figuring I'd end up posting an "after" picture in a few weeks. But ya know what? I'm gonna post a "before and after" today because that's how confident I am about the change that is already occurring after this short amount of time. For real though...is it just me, or does my skin look more even?

I'm just sayin...it's not perfect, but for 4 days?? I gotta give this stuff props.

I'M BACK, BABY!!

I made the most delicious recipe last night and had to share! OW!

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serving Size: 6
Ingredients:
3 chicken breast cutlets
6 slices paper thin prosciutto
Raw baby Spinach
1/2 cup flour
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter
Salt and fresh pepper
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup half and half
Medium sized pasta shells

Directions:
1. Slice each breast into two thin, flat cutlets to make a total of 6.

2. Pound each one to make them thin

3. Season chicken with a salt and pepper (you can go light on the salt- the proscuitto is pretty salty already).

4. Start boiling water for pasta and cook as directed.

5. Lay a thin layer of baby spinach, then a slice of prosciutto, then another thin layer of baby spinach.

6. Fold over and secure with a toothpick if necessary.

7. Place flour in a shallow bowl and lightly dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess.

8. Pour oil into skillet on medium high heat. When oil is hot, sautée chicken for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. You may have to do this in 2 batches.

9. Remove chicken from pan. Lower the heat to medium.

10. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any brown bits. Add chicken broth, and butter until melted.

11. Return chicken to the sauce. Finish cooking on low for about 5 minutes or until chicken cooked through. Baste chicken with sauce a few times while simmering.

12. Remove chicken and serve over medium pasta shells.

Tip: I cook the shells as directed while making the chicken. After I drain the shells and remove the chicken from the skillet, I toss the pasta into the skillet with the sauce to coat.

SO EASY AND SOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG GUY!

well, happy 26th birthday to my husband!!! i love saying that. husband. it's fun. so, traditionally, for each of our birthdays- we are entitled to a dinner and birthday cake request. it doesn't neccesarily have to be your favorite meal...just what you're in the mood for at the time. so, i'm making him dinner tonight...turkey tetrazinni. i also made him his favorite birthday cake last night- just gotta ice it today. unlike the dinner request, the birthday cake request is always the same...ever since i met him. i've even renamed the recipe in my recipe binder "RORY'S BIRTHDAY CAKE." it's a chocolate chocolate chip cake with white icing. i'm not gonna lie- it's delicious and that's saying alot since i'm my harshest critic. as for the present, he's been begging me for a playstation 3 since LAST christmas and it took a while but i think i've finally convinced him that he isn't getting one until our future childern graduate from college...which is perfect timing for crushing his dreams because i did- in fact- cave in and get him one for his birthday. those things are EXPENSIVE, but i just love him so much and he's so good to me- i didn't have much of a choice. i know i will loose him to the boob tube for a few weeks or months, but like any child trapped in a man's body- he will eventually grow tired of it, it will accumulate dust, and i will once again have my husband back. or so I hope!!!! i can't wait to give it to him!

p.s. i'm still waiting for my bangs to come in the mail. i laugh just thinking about the before and after pictures. hilarious...

REGRET-FREE NEW HAIRSTYLE...COMING SOON!

soooo, seeing that it's been a while since i've thrown my hard earned money out the window on something useless and silly that i will probably only use once or twice- i though it was high time i started surfing the internet for something ridiculous to buy. not to mention, shopping is very therapeutic and I've been needing some stress relief lately. work...don't get me started. after much internal diliberation, I finally decided on the most perfect waste of money ever....CLIP ON BANGS!! i just ordered them off ebay and should be receiving them in the mail next week. I'm so excited...as well as embarrassed that i actually bought fake bangs! who does that? luckily, they only cost $12. haha. this is gonna be hilarious! i'll definitely post pictures, so keep an eye out, Fi!!! just sayin...you're the only one that reads this thing. hahaha.

FINALLY!!

well, i cleaned the bedroom on friday night!!! it seriously looked like a clothes bomb exploded in there. not to mention...it was dusty, disorganized, and all-in-all, a major eye sore. rory had work, so i took the opportunity to do something productive with my spare time. the reason i mention this is because about a year ago i bought this awesome wall decal of a tree that i had intended on applying to my bedroom wall when i bought it. being the procrastinator that i am...i didn't get around to it until now. as i was cleaning, i found it under my bed and decided it was about time i put the money i spent on it to good use (which was about $10 thanks to amazon.com). this picture really doesn't do it much justice with the refection and glare, but you can get the jist!! i LOVE it!! i still have SO much to do in that house and SO many walls to fill, but not enough money....so this will have to do for now. one wall down- about 50 more to go. ;-)

INTERESTING FACTOID!!!

Did you know...

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

It's true. I did my research. Check it out:

Robert E. Lee died of natural causes...

George Washington died of wounds received in battle...

And Andrew Jackson died in battle...

And that, my friends, is your Friday factoid!! So cool.

KICKIN' SALSA CHICKEN

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuum. I made salsa chicken last night and it was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaangin'! I used 2 (4 oz.) chicken breasts sliced in half to make two, thin, flat pieces per serving. I'm a quantity person. I like the fact that I feel like I'm eating twice as much when I'm not. It's mental. Plus, it cooks faster when the pieces of chicken are thinner. I'm definitely throwing this into the weekly dinner repertoire.

INGREDIENTS:

2 TB olive oil

2- 4 oz. chicken breasts

Taco seasoning

1 jar salsa

1 small can of corn niblets

1/2 c. WW Mexican shredded cheddar

4 TB light sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Slice each breast into two, thin, flat pieces. Sprinkle taco seasoning on each side of all 4 pieces.

3. Pour oil into skillet and spread around. Heat on medium/high until pan is very hot!

4. Brown both sides of each piece (chicken does not have to be cooked through- just browned on the outside)

5. Pour 1/3 of jar of salsa a casserole dish and spread around so bottom of dish is covered with liquid.

6. Place chicken pieces in the casserole dish on top of salsa

7. Pour remaining salsa over chicken

8. Evenly sprinkle cheese over all pieces

9. Drain the can of corn, and then pour corn into casserole dish.

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

(Note: My chicken was still a teeny bit pink when I took it out after 20 minutes. But I placed the casserole dish on the counter, covered it in tin foil and let it rest for 10 minutes, and it finished cooking through that way.)

11. Serve with dollop of sour cream (2 TB per serving)

Serves:2 (2 pieces chicken per person)
Weight Watchers points per serving: 8 points

(You can also serve over Spanish rice for additional points!)


ENJOY!

GHIRARDELLI BOXED BROWNIE MIX REVIEW

If you're a HUGE fan of chewy brownies- this brownie mix is for you!!!!!! I've been on the hunt forever for a chewy brownie mix....not fudgey...not cakey....CHEWY. And I've finally found it. Ghirardelli brownies are where it's at!!!!!!!! They even bake up with that awesome shiny, crackly top layer. Oh my goodness.

Not only are they delicious, but the process is quick and easy! I made a double batch on Saturday morning for a bbq later that day. I dolled it up a bit with Reeses cups and "Symphony" hershey bars (which is a hershey bar with toffee and almonds inside). The Reeses half of the batch was ok, but I was kind of anticipating this awesome Reeses peanut butter cup flavor, but it mostly tasted like boring PB...with a hint of burnt. I guess baking them changes the taste. It still tasted like peanut butter, but not that distinct Reeses peanut butter cup flavor we're all so familiar with. On the other hand, the toffee and almond half of the pan turned out fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!! So yummy. The almond and toffee really complimented the dark, rich, chocolately, chewy brownie. So, if you're looking for a dessert to bring to a special function- do it up right. Make some toffee and almond Ghirardelli brownies- you won't be sorry!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note: I poured half the batch of batter in the pan, loaded it with the candy, and ended up dumping the 2nd batch of batter on top of to cover. I baked according to the directions on the brownie mix box.)

Next time, I will be attempting a chocolate chip cheese cake brownie concoctions. I'll keep ya posted!

SERIOUS SKIN CARE GLYCOLIC CLEANSER- PRODUCT REVIEW

It's me again. I just wanted to mention that I have been using this awesome new cleanser. Lately, I've been feeling like my face was looking a little ruddy and dull...not to mention the small creases I'm beginning to see at the corner of my eyes and my forehead. Scaaaary. So, I purchased this face wash called Serious Skin Care Glycolic Cleanser from HSN. It's only been a day or two, so I'm going to wait maybe 3 more weeks til I post the before and afters. However, I wanted to say that with the limited time I've used it and being as I have very sensitive skin, I was surprised to find I didn't break out or anything!! Let me tell ya...that's a huge problem with me and trying out new products. Bumps, rashes, zits...you name it. This cleanser is strong enough to be effective at removing the dead skin and evening out my overall skin tone, but gentle enough to make my skin smoother without all the irritation and without drying my skin out. I'm pleasantly surprised. And I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse- Product Review

As summer approaches, I can't help but think about my stark white Irish skin. It's May. And it's only a matter of time before I'm forced to wear less clothing, in turn, exposing strangers to quite possibly- permanent blindness. It's that bright, baby. So, since I am too fair to lay out and bake in the sun, and I don't do tanning beds (considering i'm not in the habit of paying anyone to give me skin cancer slowly), I'm always on the look out for the best sunless tanning products. I did some research and through the miracle of YouTube discovered a product called St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse. Here's the 411:

-I was alarmed by the color, but soon realized it's SUPPOSED to be a scary greenish/brown color.

-The application was super easy. Because it's a foamy mousse- it didn't drip and get all over the place. Plus, to save myself the hassle of washing my hands and making sure they wouldn't get stained I used the gloves you get in the box of hair dye.

-I followed the directions and waited 4 hours before washing off.

-I loved the results!!The tan was not streaky at all AND my favorite part...it doesn't have that orangey hue that you get with a lot of other sunless tanning products. It was a beautiful bronze color. Very natural.

I can't wait to do a full body tan next week for Memorial Day Weekend! OOOWWW!

My First Post!

Wow. My very own blog spot! Guess I should introduce myself. My name is Katie. I'm 31 years old and I just got married this past March, five days before my 31st birthday, to the most awesome guy in the world. I'm not joking. Yes...in the WORLD. To all those girls out there still waiting for the man of their dreams to come along, keep hope alive. Rory was my first boyfriend and I didn't meet him until I was 28 going on 29. Guys never seemed too interested in me. I want to say it's because I'm a chubby girl. However, with age comes wisdom, and looking back I'm pretty sure it was because I had a terrible self image. I was so self conscious, when a guy did talk to me- I thought he was just being nice. The idea of finding "the one" creeped in around my mid 20s. I guess it was around the time all my younger sisters started finding love. I'm not gonna lie. It ain't easy sitting at Christmas dinner surrounded by couples. One day, I asked myself- "What if I'm not destined to meet a guy until I'm 35 or 40? I will have wasted all this time obssessing about finding someone and being miserable when I don't...instead of enjoying this time to be single and have fun." The minute I decided to give up stressing, and worrying, and making it my top priority to find a guy and just started working on myself and doing what I wanted and making myself happy just being alone- that's when Rory showed up. Literally! It couldn't have been more than 6 months later. I always hated when people would tell me, "It'll happen when you stop looking." Listen, no girl sneaking up on 30 years old is going to stop looking. You can still look, but when you finally decide to be content and love your life without that special somebody- that's when they seem to turn up. It happened to me. I'm so lucky. And I know it.