a day of nostalgia

Every once in a while I get completely nostalgic. When this happens I tend to think about days when I was younger, when life was simple and things were always OK so long as you got tucked in at night. Maybe it's due to the fact that PMS is rearing it's ugly head, or maybe it's just all the fond memories I have of growing up and this time of year when the holidays are growing closer  - whatever it is I've been in the mood to flood these nostalgic thoughts with comfort. They say the best trigger for memories is your sense of smell and I couldn't agree with this more.

Last night I took a chance and grabbed myself a huge tub of Noxzema. My skin has been less than attractive lately and with all the different lotions and potions a girl could go broke. I used this stuff every, single, day when I was growing up and I always had the best skin. Granted I'm not longer the 12 year old that I once was and my skin certainly doesn't have that youthful glow of 14, but at first whiff of the container I was transported back to my childhood home and the thoughts of using the amazing eucalyptus scented face wash.

via noxzema.com

I have to say I really like the label redo it made me feel a bit less "old fashioned" purchasing a soap I used when I was a teen. Like I said I had great skin as a teenager. I get more zits now than I did back then. This my be due to the fact that I wear more make-up now, I was bare faced through most of my pre-teen and teen years, or it could just be age, I'm not sure. Either way I scrubbed my face with this magic scrub this morning and my day instantly felt brighter than the others this week. Fingers crossed this will do the trick for my skin. I've tried a ton of different things and nothing seems to work for me lately. I'm over buying cover-up in bulk.

Anypizzaface, for the past few weeks I've been trying to stop myself from purchasing more shampoo. I tend to over buy in this department and have told myself I need to finish and entire bottle before purchasing more conditioner and shampoo. Our shower seriously can't hold that many products, mine greatly out weight Mike's. I hate that he's able to condense his shampoo, condition and body wash into ONE single product! My hair would NEVER have that. I say I've been trying to stop myself from purchasing new shampoo because the other week when browsing through the drug store I came across a product that I thought for sure no longer existed. It hadn't dawned on me to look for this shampoo line in ages because I haven't used it since I was in high school.

via finesse

Like the tagline implies Finesse got a make-over with a new look. The store I was in had the shampoo on sale in a huge display but I told myself not to spend the money. That doesn't mean I couldn't enjoy it for what I truly wanted it for right then and there - and that was the scent. I opened a bottle and took a huge sniff and immediately I was transported back to summers spent with my family in North Carolina on the shore. I used this shampoo day in and day out and loved every time I used it. It also made me recall the times I'd get sunburned and use the Noxzema to cure the burn. I will warn you though that while it makes the pain go away... a day to two days later you will be peeling wherever you put the Noxzema, your face, your arms, your legs everywhere - it sucks so I wouldn't recommend it. Get yourself some aloe instead. Finesse was always my go to hair line. I had long, huge, naturally (I wish, read: permed to death) curly hair. The entire line tamed my mane from the soft touch hair spray to the soft feel gel my hair was fabulous. I wonder if it would still do the trick on my now naturally wavy (and I do mean natural, I have no idea where it came from) hair.

Since I've been feeling particularly nostalgic and maybe a bit homesick in the past few days I thought it was time for some good old fashioned comfort food. I'm currently between workout dvds (ordering my next set today) and while I could consider this a cheat meal I really wanted to just have something that reminded me of home without busting my pants wide open or blowing my hard work.

As a kid my mother always made the best dinners. Some from scratch some from the can and some from the box.

via jiffy mix

Jiffy Muffins have always been and always will be my favorite all time box mix Blueberry Muffins! My mother made them often and it wasn't until I moved to Alabama, lived on my own and started cooking that I realized how much I missed eating these. I haven't made them often because I can polish off an entire box all by myself but in making my choice to have a comfort food meal, I knew these had to be a back up to my main course.

It's not often that I crave fried chicken... but I have been for a few days now.  And when I get something like that in my brain, I can't shake it until I eat the food I want. Instead of trying to fry it up, which I've done before, got great results and then immediately felt guilty for making and eating it... I decided I would try one of the many oven baked recipes I've seen all over the place. I decided to go with my trusted and true Paula Deen for her Oven Fried Chicken recipe.

via google • I love this woman!

I mean really other than 500 lbs. of butter how can you ever say Mrs. Deen is wrong? When I was younger my mother always made fried chicken wings, naked and fried until super crispy in her skillet, most likely with tons of butter, but they were AWESOME! We always had blue berry muffins with this meal so its a win/win for me. I figured to feel less guilty about my meal I'm preparing I will add in some fresh steamed veggies on the side and call it a night.

Add to the comfort food dinner some great Thursday night entertainment and a warm blanket for the couch and I'm good to go! I could go on and on about all the things that make me feel warm and fuzzy, comforted and nostalgic but I am wondering from all of you...

When you feel like you need a little comfort - what does the trick for you? What is your favorite comfort food, or favorite comforting smell?

P.S. I made myself a Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake for breakfast today and it was heavenly! I will share the recipe soon! In even better Pumpkin Obsession news Wally World FINALLY got on the ball and I was able to purchase my Pumpkin Spice Creamer yesterday! The best part is I brought it to work to ensure I wouldn't drink the entire bottle alone. I have my every changing and shrinking figure to worry about here people I'm not crazy!

Tailgate Recipes: Sausage Pizza Dip

I'm happy I finally got my act together enough to share some Tailgate Recipes with you at least before the season is over! Sure I've been way behind but I'm trying to change that. I figured it would be a smart move for me to share my recipes with you on say Tuesday {this week will be a Monday edition} so that you've have time to plan your meal and get the ingredients together if you wanted to make these for the game of your choice the upcoming weekend. 

I made this week's recipe this past weekend. I thought I should taste test and road test any of the recipes I pass on to you this season so that I know if they are good. It would be really irresponsible of me to pass one on to you having not tired it.

We were supposed to have a few friends over for the game so instead of making one dip, I made two. The first dip was one I shared with you last year and one that all my friends always beg me to make, and that's my Buffalo Chicken Dip. You all know my obsession with Buffalo Sauce, if it wouldn't burn so bad I'd probably freebase that stuff. Addicted what? Call Dr. Drew. 

The second dip I made was a great recipe I found on Everyday with Rachel Ray. I didn't know if I would like the recipe but I was told by a dear old myspace buddy last year that I had to try it that it would blow my mind. And secondly, of all the different Rachel Ray recipes I've made, which is a lot (she taught me how to cook) I've only ever hated one, so I'd say her record is pretty awesome. Sure it only took me about a year to try this recipe, but let's be honest I'm a bit late at everything, *coughtruebloodcough* and I'll probably be late to my own funeral.

Let's just say that the Iron Maiden {my myspace buddy's handle} was correct. This dip is absolutely knock your socks off amazing, and easy as hell to create. It's called Sausage Pizza Dip and I got the recipe from here.

Photo Credit to Kang Kim via Everyday with Rachel Ray

Please see recipe information from link marked *here* above. I added my own touches and made some changes as well. Instead of Tomato Sauce I used 1 cup of my favorite Newman's Own Marinara Sauce. Eventually I will learn to make my own sauce but this does in a pinch for me all the time - it's also great for pizza sauce as well in my opinion.

via google • This stuff is SO good!

AFTER THOUGHT ADDITION: Next time I make this recipe I would like to try to rub all the bread with down, hot out of the oven with a fresh garlic clove for an extra kick. It would also be great if you sprinkled garlic powder on the bread but I really love the bite of fresh garlic so it's a winner for me.

TAILGATE APPROVED: If you are going to do this for an actual tailgate in a parking lot, before a big game, one where you have limited access to an oven, but have electricity... instead of broiling this at the end I would recommend cooking your sausage ahead of time and adding all the ingredients together in a crock pot. Melt together until combined and dish out with a spoon onto a plate and serve with bread.

FUN ADDITIONS: After discussing with my guests about what might improve this we really didn't have much to add but my thoughts were possibly adding some pepperoni roughly chopped or on top while it bakes would be a great add on, just like pizza. If you have friends that like red onions I think that would be a great addition also to let them cook under the broiler and get nice and sweet. I also thought that a healthy addition might be cutting up green peppers for dippers instead of the bread or using pretzels or bread sticks might be a fun idea as well.

SKINNY IT UP: I never really love reduced fat cheese when it comes to melting or dips but I do think this would taste just as delicious with reduced fat cream cheese as well as the others and even as great with turkey sausage or chicken sausage. That being said I feel that everything is all in moderation. 

PERFECT BEVERAGE: Beer... hands down. I don't think anything fruity would go well with this at all.

FINAL VERDICT: My guests loved this and while I only ended up having three people over instead of the 8 that we originally expected, the left overs from this dip were just as great reheated the next day for lunch. That being said... if you're dieting or eating clean... send your guests home with this so you won't be tempted to stuff your face later, seriously, it's really hard to resist seconds the day of, let alone left overs the day after.

P.S. Buffalo Dip Addition - I have discovered that Chicken in a Biscuit Crackers are amazing with the Buffalo Chicken Dip! Last year when I made this for Mike's family and added the crackers as a dipper (Iron Bowl Game 2009) everyone raved about them. They are absolutely amazing alone but the buffalo sauce is a great kick with all the cheese.

"So good it'll make you wanna slap yo Mama!" • via google

P.S.S. If you're on a diet or watching what you eat I apologize in advance for this post. I promise to at least have a few healthier options to add to these in the future. And for the record, I did want to have veggies on a platter for people to eat, but the person in charge of veggies was not able to come over so it was total carb overload central!

P.S.S.S. Yes...  I know this isn't P90X approved but honestly it was a cheat day so get off my back! And by the way I'm finished with the X and I will write about it this week!

Needless to say - both of my teams won this weekend and I couldn't have been happier!!! RTR & GO STEELERS!

I hope you all are ready for this weekend's big games!!! I know it's only Monday but it will give us something to look forward too! And If you're a Titans or Jaguar fan you have a big game to watch tonight sooo, LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

fixation friday: skinny jeans

It's Fixation Friday! I meant to post all this on Monday, or Tuesday, or even Thursday but my week has slipped away from me and now it's been dubbed my Fixation of the week... I'm talking about Skinny Jeans. Here's my quest to get a bit more fashionable... one item of clothing and it's mate at a time... Enjoy!

So here I am... one last recovery week to go of P90X. It's been a long road, one that I've had one too many pit stops on and bumps along the way but I do see the light at the end of the toll road tunnel. The price I've had to pay has been minimal considering all the gains I've reaped from the program. I will get into all of that with my final P90X wrap up here soon, in the meantime I figured I'd talk about some rewards.

When I started this journey I hadn't thought about rewarding myself with anything - truth be told getting in better shape was the only thing I could think would benefit me or make me happy at the time. Add to that a smaller jean size and a renewed confidence to sport shirts without sleeves in public and I figured I was rewarded enough. Cue last weekend...

Mike and I went out for some window shopping. I had seen a few items I was lusting over and decided to go ahead and purchase while we were out and about. First on the list was a pair of boots. The last pair of boots I purchased were for Halloween many moons ago and not only are they uncomfortable, but I doubt they'd look cute over or even under jeans at this point. They are SO last season circa 2000n'late! That being said the only other boots I've splurged on in the past few years were a pair of F-Uggs, which is what I like to call Faux Uggs. They are a brand name (Simple) but I sort of feel cheesy announcing that. I couldn't afford Uggs at the time and now wish I would have saved my pennies. These boots work great, they have kept their shape and are still in one piece - even after sporting them to many camping trips, outdoor fun and walking just about everywhere. My main issue for not purchasing cute boots was this - I don't wear skirts, ever. In addition to this face, I only wear boot cut jeans, boots are rarely seen when you're sporting this style. This is something I want to change but without the right footwear why bother. With my growing love for skinny jeans, boots were the logical first step. To be fair I could have purchased the skinny jeans without boots, since they look so cute with ballet flats, but I'll be honest the of all the flats I own, all but 2 pairs KILL my feet. My feet are trained to wear two types of shoes without crying in agony. 1 - Flip flops and 2 - Sneakers or Boots w/ Socks. Yes I wear heels, and often times I love them, but usually they are sandals in the summer with wedges or I wear them in the winter and regret every. single. step.  Ok, holy crap where was I? Oh yes! The boots I was coveting I knew I couldn't pass up. Every time I see a pair of boots or item that I love, if I don't purchase the item right then and there, they are gone the next time I search for them. Sure there might be a few left but they are always size 6 or smaller. Sorry folks I have man feet. I can wear 9.5's but I swear by a good solid 10 to prevent pain. While in Target a few weeks ago I found the greatest pair of "any occasion but black tie event" boots. They are just the right shade of almost pale brown and almost gray.  I'm a very picky and frugal person I hate to buy items I can't see myself wearing everyday. I do like a great splurge every now and then but when you're trying to save money, and pay off debt something so versatile goes a long way. When we arrived at Target I was sure that the boots I was longing to purchase, in my size, would be gone - not only were they still there (total sign from the shopping gods of course) but there were 2 pairs in size 10. So not only was I in luck,  but I could be picky and make sure mine didn't have spots or imperfections. This NEVER happens (sure sign #2). Happy as a lark I grabbed the boots and tried them on again and was still in love. Mike wasn't sure he sort of gave me a strange look, but since when do we listen to boys when we make shoe choices? Ok that's a lie, Mike has great taste and often times he will suggest something and I'll be all "EW are you insane?" an then I try it on and it's "PERFECT" and I have to listen to the "I told you so." a few times. To say I was over the moon for these boots is an understatement. I didn't bat an eye lash at the thought of purchasing them, they were my splurge for the season and I have a feeling with the low heel and ability to go with everything I own they will not only get worn out for a night on the town but also for work and anything else I can think of.

Just the right shade to go with everything! • via target.com

Once I grabbed the boots I knew in my heart it was time. Time for what you ask? The time had come to brave the fitting room and to prepare myself to hate skinny jeans. (Yes, I am often a glass half empty personality when it comes to fashion, my body and how they work together). I figured the only reason I would try them would be so I could shove them down into my boots. If I never wore them another way I wouldn't care. The jeans were all on sale and I even snagged a few pairs on clearance to try on. After the slow ass sweet old woman at the dressing room check out counter let me into changing area I gave myself a pep talk... "Remember Kelly, these may not work, there's no shame in that - just try them on with an open mind." To be fair I wasn't just prepping myself to try on the skinny jeans, but also for the fact that since I started P90X I haven't tried on any new bottoms or clothing other than shorts and tank tops early in the summer when I was still in bigger sizes. With a deep breath I tried on the first pair... low rise... FAIL! Dumb ass you should have known better than to try to pull on the low rise... NEXT! I don't know what it is with my personally but I have a real, save the best, or the ones you want the most, for last kind of mentality with almost everything (seriously it's horrible, with food I eat the whole plate just to get the good bite last... I should just get it over with like ripping off a band-aid and eat the best bite quickly and first, right?)... Pair of Jeans #2:  mid-rise boot cuts, sure they weren't part of the mission but I am in the market for some new jeans in all types at this point. Pulling them up was a breeze... I paused.... I blinked... I almost crapped my pants... these fit? Scratch that, they fit great! And they are a size smaller than what I was when I started P90X... not only that, they're loose... they hug but they don't cling... they fit but they don't pinch. HOLY SHIT! That's all I could think. I took off the boot cuts and put them in the 'maybe' pile.

Working my courage up to try on the mid rise skinnies, I tried on a pair of legging type pants first. I can't call them jeggings because they were not denim, they were cotton and so adorable. I don't know how comfortable I would have been in these but I did like the fit and the fact that they still had pockets even though I doubt much more than a credit card would be flattering to anyone in these if it was shoved in the back pocket. However, under a sweater or coat, totes cute. Certainly on my list of "things I'd like to purchase for the winter" list.

There it was the moment of truth... as I unfolded the mid rise skinny jeans I saw studs on them... not just one or two mind you but I think that Billy Idol bedazzled the crap out of these pants... I shrugged and thought, "OK I'll try them on, and if they are OK I'll search for a less blinged up pair". Once I could get them situated properly over my calf muscles (benefit of P90X-getting my dance legs back)... it was all smooth sailing... I couldn't believe how much I like how they looked. I was still a bit skeptical of the hip to ankle ratio but I liked what I saw - minus the damn studs.

Upon leaving the dressing room I smiled to Mike, which he knew was a good sign, and told him I needed to find a less blinged out pair, he agreed. Thankfully I did. They are a very dark wash which I like, and much more flattering than the faded pair I tried on. It was set. I found my first pair of trial skinnies, and I was SO excited.

Not to big, not too small but jussssst right! • via target.com

I was worried about how long they were and the scrunching at the bottom but once I saw this image online I knew I was A-OK! I have worn them twice so far - once out for an evening and once again to work and while they do seem to slouch mid day I am still loving them and will contemplate buying a more expensive and nice pair for myself may be for my birthday in December. (Again I'm on a budget and buying a ton of clothing is not on it). Add to my cute jeans the pair of boots that are both cute and practical and I'm so excited about cooler weather.  I still would like to purchase some boots with heels but again, I may have to wait for birthday money to pull that off.

So tell me - I know I'm behind the times with this but are there any of you that still can't embrace the skinny jean trend??