Classy in Carolina: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Recipe: Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

A few days ago I mentioned this absolutely delicous recipe {here} for Cookies and Cream Cupcakes, and today I've decided to share it with you all! I found the recipe here, and ended up baking them for Derek for our one year anniversary. He LOVED them...when he arrived on the night of our anniversary, he ended up eating two of them right on the spot! He had a few more the rest of the weekend, and brought the leftovers back with him to share with his roommates. They even ended up tweeting me to tell me how good they were---seriously, these cupcakes were SO yummy!!

Cupcake Ingredients:

24 Oreo halves, with cream fillings still attached
2 & 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Frosting Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

**For detailed directions, check the link I posted....I've just provided a summary in pictures so you can see the basic process!**

Crushing up the oreos was definitely the most time consuming part!

After the oreos were all chopped up, I folded them into the cupcake batter.

Then I filled the muffin tins and popped 'em in the oven to bake!

I forgot to take pictures of the cupcakes after they were done baking, before decorating them...I'm so forgetful sometimes! Anyways, I used a pastry bag and icing tips to pipe the frosting on, just to make them look prettier!

Oreo halves on the bottom, oreo chunks mixed in, and oreo crumbs sprinkled on top of the creamcheese frosting. YUM!!

You could also definitely just use a store-bought cake mix to make these, to make the process a little shorter. I'd definitely recommend making the frosting though, it was SO good!

Would you make these Oreo cupcakes? Have you made anything similar to these before?

~KBR~

Monday, January 30, 2012

Monday Morning Motivation

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Preppy Inspiration: Winter Styles

Source

~KBR~

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

One Whole Amazing Year

This month, on the 19th, (yes, just ONE day after my birthday) was mine and Derek's one year anniversary! It's hard to believe that we've already been together for so long...the time has just flown by! At the same time, it's easy to see how our relationship has progressed, and how much closer we are now and the level our relationship is at compared to how it was one year ago.

Derek and I have been long distance throughout our entire relationship...his hometown is Greenville, SC and he goes to Clemson University, and my hometown is Charlotte, NC and I've been at either NC State or UNC Charlotte for the length of our relationship. We actually met at the end of August during my first semester of college, about five months before we started dating. We hit it off pretty much right away, and spent those five months "talking"--aka the dreaded not-fully-committed, but not-seeing-other-people stage. I know to some people, five whole months in "in-between land" sounds like a nightmare, but since we met while attending different schools we took things slow, and it really worked out great! By the time we actually started "officially" dating in January, we already knew a lot about each other and were very close and comfortable with each other, so making it "official" didn't change too much.

Derek and I the night we met, in August 2010

This past year of dating has been completely amazing! Not to say that our relationship is totally perfect...we have occassional fights, we have dull conversations on Skype or the phone (we usually skype every night), and of course, long distance presents obvious problems like not getting to see each other as much as we'd like.

But still...we work through the fights, more often than not our nightly conversations can make even the worst days better, and the time we do spend together makes up for the time we spend missing each other when we're apart. He makes me laugh and helps me lighten up when I get too emotional, always reminds me to think twice before I act on impulse, puts up with my constant cuddling needs, and has never failed to be there for me when I've really needed him.

So, to celebrate this wonderful one-year mark, he drove up here on Thursday night (the 19th, which was our actual anniversary date) so we could be together. He wasn't able to get here until around 10pm, but it was so nice just to see him on our special day! We had decided that for our one-year we wanted to do something fun/special together in place of getting each other gifts...of course, I should have known he'd still show up with a little something for me!

Sorry for the bad quality picture...snapped this on my phone really quick!

He got me these super cute silver monogrammed earrings--love!! Keep up the good work with the monogrammed jewelry lately, Derek ;)

Anyways, luckily I was prepared with a small gift of my own...homemade Oreo cupcakes! Don't worry, I'll be sharing the recipe soon!!

Friday morning we woke up and headed to Beech Mountain for our real anniversary celebration...skiing! I hadn't been since I was about 12, and Derek had never skied before, so I wasn't sure what to expect exactly. Luckily, neither of us fell or had any accidents, and we had a blast! So much fun!!

The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key...we got dinner with my parents, cuddled up in my dorm room and watched Johnny Tsunami and old 90's music videos (namely Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC), and played multiple rounds of super-duper intense "Scramble" on our iPhones...pretty exciting stuff, haha! Definitely wouldn't have it any other way though :)

~KBR~

Monday, January 23, 2012

Monday Morning Motivation

The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.

-Robert Cushing

If the wind will not serve,

take to the oars.

Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe.

-Latin Proverb

Source

~KBR~

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Big Two-Zero

Today is my 20th birthday! I'm not doing anything too big to celebate this year...after class today I'm heading home to spend the afternoon with my family, and we'll go out to a nice dinner (still not sure where yet). My parents are also letting me pick out a new Michael Kors watch, and I'm looooving this one, I'm pretty sure it's the one I'm going to get:

This past weekend I went to Clemson to visit Derek, which is when he gave me his gift...this gorgeous gold monogrammed necklace! I had really been wanting one of these, so I was so excited when I opened it!

This whole week is actually extra exciting, because in addition to my birthday today, tomorrow is mine and Derek's one year anniversary! He's going to drive up tomorrow night (yay for no Friday classes!) to stay for the weekend, and Friday we're taking a day trip to the mountains for skiing...I can't wait! I'll try to update you on how this weekend goes on Sunday night!

~KBR~

Monday, January 16, 2012

Blogger Tag!

I'm so happy I was finally tagged in one of these blogger games going around! I was tagged by the lovely lady Turtles and Pearls. If you haven't read her blog before, definitely go check it out...her blog is a daily read for me! Anyways, here's how the game works:

Rules of the Game:

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in the post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

Eleven Facts

1. I attended a small, all-girls boarding school for high school.

2. Although I grew up in North Carolina, I was actually born in Louisville, KY.

3. I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth you have ever seen...especially when it comes to chocolate!

4. I've never broken a bone, or even sprained anything!

5. I'm currently working on learning how to play the guitar...the first song I'm trying to learn right now is Mine by Taylor Swift! It's so hard on my fingers :(

6. My 20th birthday is in TWO DAYS (this Wednesday)! Yay!!

7. I'm a sophomore in college, and a communications/PR major.

8. I LOVE reading...its one of my favorite pastimes.

9. I babysit two children every day after class. I love children of all ages and honestly can't WAIT to be a mom (okay, maybe I can wait a little bit longer...)

10. I'm super shy and quiet in big groups, but when I'm alone with one or two close friends I can talk a mile a minute!

11. I may have a slight addiction to diet coke...as in I easily have at least one a day. I'm really working on trying to substitute in some water!

Turtles and Pearls' Questions

1. What is your dream career?

Since I'm a PR major, I'd love to either have an executive level PR job at a large company (like VP of Public Relations or Chief of Public Relations) OR work in a small-scale "boutique" PR firm.

2. What accessory can you not live without?

The only accessory that I wear literally EVERY single day are my pearl earrings!

3. What qualities do you look for in a significant other?

Respectful towards me and my family, a kind heart, wittty sense of humor, and able to hold an intelligent conversation.

4. What is one thing that really gets on your nerves?

Close-mindedness!

5. Why did you start blogging?

Love this question! I really just started blogging for fun...I had been reading blogs for almost a year before I started mine, and I loved the idea of creating topics for post, sharing about my life, and connecting with others. So glad I made that decision :)

6. What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday night?

Spending time with my boyfriend, Derek! An ideal night would be going out to a really tasty restaurant, followed by some frozen yogurt, and then coming home and cuddling on the couch to watch TV or a movie. Luckily that describes a typical weekend for us haha.

7. Do you tend to plan ahead or do you just go with the flow?

Definitely plan ahead! For example, I've already filled in the due dates for tests/assignments for the next month for ALL my classes in my planner (according to the syllabus). I also always plan out way in advance when Derek and I are going to see each other next. It drives me crazy not to plan!

8. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Thailand! Or anywhere in Southeast Asia, really.

9. Do you color or highlight your hair?

No, I never have! I've thought about it a few times, but don't think I'd really look good with any other hair color.

10. What is one movie you could watch again and again?

Any of the Harry Potter movies...yes, totally serious!

11. What is your go-to outfit?

Dark skinny jeans, flats, any kind of tank top, and a J. Crew Jackie cardigan. Dressed up or down depending on jewelry and other accessories, and great for so many occasions!

I'm tagging...

1. Carolina On My Mind

2. Sweet Like a Song

3. Life of a Charleston Wife

4. Leggings Love

5. Panache

6. Southern Curls and Pearls

7. Sweet Southern Drawl

8. Petchie's Blog Book

9. Sundresses and Smiles

10. Southern Somedays

11. elle & em

(Sorry if you've already been tagged!!)

My Questions

1. What is your favorite accessory to shop for? Jewelry, shoes, purses, or other?

2. What is one city (other than the one you currently live in) where you would love to live?

3. What is your all-time favorite book?

4. If you could have an unlimited supply of ONE brand of clothes (as in EVERY item that you wanted from that brand magically appeared in your closet), which brand would you choose?

5. Most days, do you dress for comfort or style?

6. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your live, what would you choose?

7. What is your favorite season, and why?

8. What is your least favorite chore?

9. What is your favorite color to wear?

10. Do you like to try new things often, or prefer to stick to what you know and love?

11. What is one of your happiest memories?

~KBR~

Monday Morning Motivation

Source

~KBR~

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Recently I decided to try my hand at a little baking. I've had this recipe saved on my computer for quite a white, but only just now got around to trying it out.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Essentially, its just a gooey, fudgey brownie with a layer of eggless (read: safe-to-eat) chocolate chip cookie dough on top. Sound like heaven? Yep, it is.

I used this brownie recipe and this cookie dough recipe. Even though its all from scratch, its really a pretty simple recipe and not too time-consuming to make. The results are also well worth it!

The Brownies:

Ingredients (makes 32 brownies):

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup water

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies set up. Do not overbake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.

The Cookie Dough:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Once the brownies have cooled, spread the cookie dough evenly over the brownies. After putting the cookie dough on the brownies, I stored them in the fridge...I found that it tasted best that way, and had the best texture. Since these brownies are cakey and fudgey (rather than chewy and flakey), keeping them in the fridge gave them a creamier, fudgier consistency, which went well with the cookie dough. Plus, cookie dough always tastes best when it's fresh out of the fridge.

My whole family LOVED this recipe. I'll definitely be making it again and would recommend it to anyone looking to try out a new dessert!

~KBR~

Friday, January 13, 2012

Cozy in the Wintertime

Here are some cozy images to keep you warm through these chilly winter days:

Source

~KBR~

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Recent Shopping Finds

While driving back from Clemson to Charlotte the other day, I decided to make a quick stop at the Gaffney Premium Outlets (for those of you not familiar with them, they're about 45 minutes north of Greenville, SC). Honestly, all the stores I visited looked as if they had recently been picked clean of all the usual good items...I'm guessing as a result of Christmas shopping and post-holiday sale shopping. However, I did manage to snag a few good items from J Crew and Bath & Body Works:

There were really slim pickings at J. Crew, but I did manage to walk away with a few good items for pretty cheap, including two "Perfect" shirts in plaid, a pair of darkwash toothpick jeans, and a few other small items: