Big Girl Things

Well... I just finished stamping a few bills. Did I just say bills? I'm only 18, but I already have responsibilities that I never imagined. It feels good to accomplish something on your own. I feel so grown up... and it's quite scary. Anyways, I thought I would share with the world what I've been doing, thinking, and reading over the past few weeks. First of all, I've been reading an  amazing book called Not a Fan as part of a book/Bible study with my youth group at church. Kyle Idleman is this totally relatable guy that is actually the pastor of a 20,000+ member church in Louisville, Kentucky. He writes about what it truly means to live by the verse Luke 9:23. It says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." Now, for me that's easy to read but so hard to actually do. Kyle describes a totally radical but invigorating way of FOLLOWING Christ. He asks, "Are you a fan or follower?" I find myself somewhere in between in the beginning. I've taken baby steps in order to follow Christ but I don't think I'm leaping for Him yet. Now that I'm half way through, I realize I'm more of a fan that I thought, and God says that's OK. All Jesus does is simply give EVERYONE an invitation to deny everything human and follow Him. It's a daily process of thinking W.W.J.D in every decision possible. That's all it takes. What Would Jesus Do? Stay tuned for my thoughts on the one and only Dr. Ruth's book about College Life. Trust me, it was mom's choice.

xo, Kg

So, yeah....

So I realized I'm not so great at this blogging thing. To my defense, I have been crazy busy with all my vacations packed in right after I had the grand idea to start this lovely blog. The first two days of August have proved to be super exciting. I got my housing assignment yesterday and I just pressed the submit button to my Panhellenic Recruitment (a.k.a. Rush) application. I'm trying so hard not to go wake up my mom right now... yep, I'm the girl that geeks about everything. Back to the housing assignment, I got Marsh Hall #325. Hellllooooooo walk-in closets. Yes, I'm talking about WALK-IN closets in a college dorm. Example A:

And yes, you should come to Wofford because I'm pretty sure that's a freshie luxury. I'll have to do another post about my developing pile of pink and green in the middle of the den.   More to come.... 

xo, KG

Umm.. Yum!

So, I may have failed to mention in my first post that I love to cook/bake! Not only will I post advice for confused people like me, but I'll also share some things that work well in the kitchen. With yesterday being the Fourth of July, I thought I'd share my favorite recipe of the day... Pecan-Caramel Crunch Ice Cream. This was the 1st prize winner in the 2002 Southern Living Cookoff. It takes awhile, but it's well worth it!

Pecan-Caramel Crunch Ice Cream 

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups light brown sugar

3 cups milk (2% or whole)

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

4 cups whipping cream

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 (20 oz.) bottle of caramel topping 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely. In a food processor/mini chopper, process mixture until finely chopped; set aside.

Stir together 2 cups of brown sugar and the next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring often (don't boil). 

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually stir 1 cup hot milk mixture into yolks. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat 2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove pan from heat. Stir in cream, condensed milk, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. 

Poor mixture into freezer container of a 6-quart hand-turned or electric freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, 5 to 7 minutes or until partially frozen. Layer the top of ice cream evenly with oat mixture and caramel topping. 

Freeze, according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is frozen. If desired, remove from container and place in another container fro the freezer. Freeze 8 hours or overnight. Let stand 30 minutes before serving. 

ENJOY! 

-Kg

Come On Over...

Welcome to a blog made of everyday advice and experiences from high school and beyond. Now for a little about me... 

I'm Kathryn. I just graduated high school after much determination and hard work. On August 29th, I will move into Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. Can you say scary? I have had the absolute pleasure of learning from the best parents a girl could ask for. Blayne is my brother, and I wouldn't trade him for anything. 

I'm currently giving my extra love to the sweetest Southern boy, Matthew Robinson. 

I plan to keep him around for awhile. I've lived in the same small town for practically my entire life. Although I used to beg to get out, I'm dreading having to leave in a few months. I work at a small grocery store called Corley's, home of the best muffins and twice baked potatoes in the world. I plan on giving the average girl some not so average advice for surviving high school and a little window in to my new life at college and beyond. You'll probably learn a lot more about me and the people I love throughout my posts. Hope you enjoy! 

-Kg