Friday, September 30, 2011

Friday Favorite - Gouda Cheese

A while back I watched a Dr. Oz special on TV talking about the no good, horrible, disease of cancer. I hate that "C" word. 

Below is some of the script from the show

Eating Gouda Cheese can reduce cancer risks and here’s why. Gouda and other forms of hard cheese’s actually contain a special hormone Vitamin K2 (menaquinone, menatetrenone) that inhibits cancer growth so it prevents cancers from growing. Studies have shown that people who eat 2 slices of hard cheese a day have an overall decreased risk of developing cancers like lung cancer the number one killer of women, and prostate cancer. Hard cheeses are typically made with bacteria that ferment and vitamin K2 is a byproduct of that process.



Brant and I had deep fried Gouda at our wedding. Who knew it would help with cancer prevention??  Probably not the "deep fried" part. After watching the show, I immediately knew that I would buy Gouda cheese as opposed to the American cheese I normally buy. I was in love, UNTIL I found smoked Gouda at a specialty grocery store by the name of Corley's Market.  You can definitely taste the difference. Switch it out and make a grilled cheese sandwich or just eat it with crackers. You will never go back to your original cheese again...I promise.

So, If you're in the market for a little cancer prevention and like cheese, this is for you. I suggest you forgo the Sargento or store bought brand and invest a little more $$ to get some sliced at your local meat market. Ohhh...and don't forget to make sure that it's smoked!



Thursday, September 29, 2011

Shootin' the Breeze

I'm feeling like this has been the llooonnngggessstt week ever. October needs to hurry up and get here! I LOVE this month for many reasons. Every year, the first Sunday in October we have a family reunion on my Mom's side.  It's good to see extended family and meet new cousins.  A year seems to go by so fast, yet so slow.  It's been a tough year, but a good one for my family.

At each reunion, I'm reminded of my Papa and all of the memories I have of him. If you knew him, you would know that he was the kindest man you would ever meet. He would literally give the shirt off his back to make someones life easier. I had the privilege of being the oldest granddaughter, and he made sure everyone knew. He was also the only person that called me by my middle name "Brooke". There are a lot of fun memories as well; like drinking muscadine wine and standing on top of a dog house. He also called my Mom's dog Kramer, by the name of "creamer"...so funny!  He passed away in January of 2008 and has been missed so much since.

My Papa and all of his siblings are probably in Heaven "shootin' the breeze". I can see them now, laughing and talking about all of the memories they shared.  They certainly were a tight group, which was and still is important.  As my family meets again this weekend, only without my Papa and his siblings, I will be reminded of how blessed I am.  I could never come up with enough words to describe how much I love my family.

What's for lunch?

Well I'm sure we'll have a little bit of everything to satisfy everyones taste. We live in the South, I expect to at least see fried chicken and pecan pie. Who wouldn't? I plan to take some side dishes, but also want to make something sweet. Butterfinger Blondie's...OH MY!  My Grandmother always made Blondie's back in her earlier years. They were "deliciouso"; is that even a word?

 I found this tasty recipe on Pinterest. According to the reviews they are sure to be a hit.
 Butterfinger Blondies

After all is said and done, I plan on "shootin' the breeze" for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing is better than a good nap after a big meal. I will also think about my Papa and be reminded of the simple things in life.  


Sunday, September 25, 2011

Pan Am - Tonight

For some reason, I'm looking forward to the new show Pan Am, that premiers tonight on ABC. I'm really hoping this show will not disappoint. Hopefully it's DVR worthy for the rest of the season since 10 pm is usually my bedtime...lol!



Saturday, September 24, 2011

Saturday Shenanigans

Sooo glad the weekend had finally arrived. I woke up this morning happy to be alive and glad the NASA satellite did not crash into SC. I was very concerned that some 300lbs of debris would land on our house.

It's hot again here, which means I can probably hold off on wearing my boots for another week or two... maybe even three. I decided not to go to the Carolina/Vandy game but am cheering them on from our couch along with Cooper.  My husband is very superstitious when it comes to sports. He has to wear the same outfit to every game as an omen.  The same goes for our dog Cooper. He sports his same gamecock bandanna every week - and my husband makes sure of that. Now for this girl, I like to be comfortable and somewhat stylish. I guess I've had too many good pairs of shoes ruined at games and end up being ill by the end of the night that I have learned my lessons! As a side note, the later the game, the drunker the fans. One time I had this girl knock a HUGE cup of bourbon and coke all over me and another fan. And noooo, It did not make it onto my husband.  How does that happen? Needless to say,  I had a good pair of shoes on and was in a sticky mess the rest of the night...miserable! 



I have a friend who owns a boutique in Greenwood that sales cute game day clothes called Sugar.  What I love about her clothes is that she has a lot of practical pieces that will work for the games in addition to your everyday wear. It's also good that Carolina's colors are black & garnet, which are staple colors for a Fall wardrobe. Check out the website here, http://www.scsugar.com/.  I also like Miss Cocky for game day wear as well. They have a lot of cute shirts, shoes, and accessories. They also sale Gamecock Jack Rogers. Here is their website, http://www.misscocky.com/.

Moving on...Earlier in the day, I decided to take a quick trip up to Anderson to stop by Sam's, as well as, my favorite store Ulta.  That's the only two places I went...I'm shocked. Sam's now sales multi-grain cheerios which makes me super happy.  I also snagged up Bridesmaid's DVD which I plan on watching before the weekend is up.  I purchased a new nail polish @ Ulta called "smokin' hot" by Essie. From, there I went to have a much needed pedicure with my newly purchased polish. It felt wonderful.

Now, I'm back on the couch watching Carolina. I should be folding clothes or unloading the dishwasher, but instead I'm relaxing.  Way to go cocks!  Score @ the half 14-3 Carolina! Run it up Steve!!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

What I'm Loving Wednesday






With Autumn quickly approaching, I'm dedicating this "What I'm Loving Wednesday" to my favorite season of the year!

If you LOVE creamer, You must TRY International Delight Almond Joy. It's the best! I always seem to have trouble finding a good creamer outside of the holiday season, but I have found my new love with this one. Walmart is the only place that I can find it in the value size for around $3. What can be better than that? 

However, I'm patiently waiting on the International Delight Pumpkin Pie Creamer. I wait all year long for this delicacy. The stores usually keep this creamer stocked until mid January and February...which is great for me!


I'm also loving the new OPI Fall colors. I've never been the type of person to venture far from my comfort zone, which includes nail color. I tend to play it safe with pinks, corals, reds..etc. This Fall, I'm leaning more towards the browns and natural colors. Why not? They look good on everyone else... The hardest decision I have to make is which color to choose.

My mother-in-law recently gave me a new Fall scent called "Pumpkin Marshmallow" from Scentsy. It happens to be the scent of the Month for September.  I put this in our warmer Monday evening and my husband thought I was making cupcakes!  It smells that good! 


I'm really into the Philosophy gingerbread man scent already. Although, I haven't tried the ginger hot salt body scrub I think I might give it a try very soon.  I had given some Philosophy products for Christmas gifts last year and had the gingerbread man left. For some reason, I was saving this one for myself and am glad I did! It smells wonderful!!


I just love this time of year! Football is in full gear, The new Fall tv shows are beginning,  & the wardrobe is changing.  I have always been a modest dresser, which means I get to wear my turtlenecks and boots...my favorite!  

Monday, September 19, 2011

Pictures and Bridesmaids

I didn't have time to post pictures from my blog debut. I was too excited about writing which kept me up way past my bedtime.  Creating blogs are hard...for some reason I cannot figure out my header. Anyway, I don't want to bore you with my technical issues.


The camera did not make it into the stadium, but it did manage to snag a few pics beforehand courtesy of myself, spouse, and a few helpers!  

Below are some great friends. The significant others...aka guys,  have been friends for many years. When Brant and I got married, I never realized I would  have the opportunity to become so close to these people. Even though we all have busy schedules, we somehow manage to find time to get together. It's fun, not stressful!

(Christina, me, Anna, Becky)


And here are the guys, aka....significant others.
(Chris, Matt, Brant, Justin)


(Brant and me)

I'm bad about not having my camera with me. It seems like when I REALLY need it, I never have it! Oh well, from this day foward, I'm going to try to utilize it more often. My SD card has 2 years of pictures on it and I still have room to take about another 200 pictures..how sad is that?

Get excited, this DVD/blu-ray hits stores tomorrow!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Gamecocks & Blogging

So, I have decided to venture out and start a blog as I have been wanting to for some time. I LOVE to share ideas and 'write' what's on my mind. (Side note...Pinterest has helped me a lot with some upcoming DIY crafts and projects; follow me! I'm sure I will be posting many 'ideas' soon. ) Hopefully I can gain a few friends from this new found hobby of mine. 



The University of South Carolina; not to be confused with the other university - aka Clemson, had their first home game this past Saturday. It was a very cold home opener - around 60 degrees, which is very atypical for us in South.  We have gracefully, (not easily) won these games giving us a 3-0 record which makes for one happy hubby & a nationally ranked team. I must admit, I'm proud of the Gamecocks too! They are not the same team they were 10 years ago - back when my husband and I were in our dating years.



As the girls and I were talking, the guys were off throwing the football, playing cornhole..etc - the subject of blogging came up. I love reading blogs and so did another friend of mine. We actually discussed The Pioneer Woman. If you have no idea who I'm talking about - check her out http://thepioneerwoman.com/. She has the best recipes and they are so easy to follow. The coolest thing about her website is that she uses still photography to show step-by-step instructions on how to make her delicious food. To make a long story short, she now has a TV show called the 'Pioneer Woman', that recently premiered on the Food Network - all because of Blogging!



I may be wishfully thinking, but maybe blogging can help me find my niche.  I love so many things but cannot find one thing to focus my expertise on.  Exploring through the blogging world might can help me...if not, at least I will gain some friends and showcase my thoughts! 



I hope my blogging debut gets better over time. In the same breath, I hope the Carolina Gamecocks get better over time too; we are playing Vanderbilt next week who is another 3-0 team.  However, I must get off here now, as my husband is making me re-watch the Carolina/Navy game on TV to see Navy's 'triple option' offense...lol!



Stay tuned for more blogs!!