FREE Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Wedding magazine subscriptions

You heard me right.  I recently signed up with Recyclebank.com and have been collecting points by recycling and/or watching little videos about green products.  I've done very little and have already earned enough points for a free subscription to Martha Stewart Living.  Quite possibly the best magazine in print at the moment.  I also got a BOGO free Dasani and a free milkshake at my local Frost Top.

Highly recommend it if you like free stuff. :)

http://www.recyclebank.com/referafriend/?___store=us&bl=YWxseWNhdHRrNDIxQHlhaG9vLmNvbQ==&utm_campaign=Refer-a-friend&utm_medium=direct%20link&utm_source=A7980021&cm_mmc=Refer-a-friend-_-direct%20link-_-A7980021-_-referral

Pinterest Challenge Day 3

Bruschetta Chicken Bake


Pinned from the Kraft Foods website: kraftrecipes.com, this is an extremely simple and quick recipe. Seriously...3 steps and done. Both my husband and I really liked it.  It seems to be easily changed.  If you were in the mood for Mexican, you could change the cheese to Monteray Jack, the tomatoes to Rotel and the Stove Top flavor to Cornbread.  I will definitely be trying it that way as well. I think I will add this to my normal dinner rotation.  I served it with a side of quick and easy green beans that I found on Pinterest as well. Just put whole green beans on a baking sheet, toss them with olive oil, cracked black pepper and Sea Salt...bake on 400 for 8 minutes or so and done.


Scorecard:
Ease of Preparation: A+
Flavor: A-
Margin  for Error: A
Leftover Appeal: B
Overall Appeal: A-

what you need

1

can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1

pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2

cup water

2

cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2

lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1

tsp. dried basil leaves

1

cup KRAFT 2% Milk ShreddedMozzarella Cheese

make it

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

step 1 MIX tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

step 2 LAYER chicken, basil and cheese in 3-qt. casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish.

step 3 TOP with stuffing. Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done.

Pinterest Challenge Day 2

Citrus-glazed Salmon and Avocado Salsa


My second pinterest recipe had a lot of potential.  I love Salmon and I love Avocado.  This recipe came from the Eating Well Living Thin blog here: eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com. Please click on the link to view the recipe.

Ok, making this was super easy.  It took very little time and very little effort. However, it wasn't my favorite.  First of all, let me just say that the Salmon and flavor of the glaze was amazing.  I kind of wish I had just stopped there.  The salsa was weird.  I don't think oranges and avocados are complementing flavors.  This is strictly my opinion though, because my husband thought they meshed well.  He really liked the flavors together. But we both agree that there were WAY too many onions in the recipe.  I like red onions just as much as the next person, but every bite seemed to be overpowered by the raw crunch of them.  I did like the heat of it.  It made it seem more like salsa than just a salad.  And this meal doesn't keep well for leftovers.


Scorecard:
Ease of Preparation: A
Flavor: Salmon-A, Salsa-C-
Margin  for Error: B
Leftover Appeal: C
Overall Appeal: C+

Pinterest Challenge: Day 1

Crock Pot Orange Chicken


I pinned this recipe from a blog called "The Pursuit of Happiness" team-t-adventures.blogspot.com. So to find the recipe for orange chicken, please refer to the above blog.

Ok, it started off fine. what I was cooking looked just like the pictures on Ms. Lisa's blog.  I'm nearing the end of the crock pot session and decided to start the rice.  While playing on the blog-site, I boiled over my rice.  Maybe the internet is to blame for my cooking skills declining.  At least that's what I'll tell myself.  My chicken is not looking much like hers now.  It seems really runny.  I'll give it another half hour in the crock pot and see how it turns out.

Half hour finished and here's the verdict: Pretty good.  It's a hair tangy, but I may have put in a little more OJ than I should have.  My husband said the chicken was really tender and it was really good.  He'd like for me to add pineapple chunks to it next time, so I will try that. Even my crazy picky 5 year old liked it.

Scorecard:
Ease of Preparation: B+
Flavor: B
Margin  for Error: B
Overall Appeal: B+

Day 1 finished Pinterest Challenge finished....pictures to come.

New Pinterest Challenge

Starting today April 6, 2012, I will be challenging myself to learn new recipes via the most wonderful website in the world....Pinterest.  The existence of this website has negated the need to keep up with magazines, save their content or blog about it really.  It's all on pinterest and easier to save.

Starting in November, my go to recipes have all been flops.  I've ruined chicken and dressing, sweet potato casserole, spaghetti, etc.  It's an epidemic.  So I have decided to cook three recipes off pinterest a week and blog about it.  Kind of like Julie what's her face from "Julie and Julia" minus the extremely complicated art of French cooking.  Anywho....today is day 1.

This and That and how to Give Back

Sorry for the hiatus, let's get back into it shall we.

First of all this week is National Volunteer week.  So many vital organizations run on mostly volunteer man-power, like the Arkansas Rice Depot of the American Red Cross.  How can we help this week?  Or better yet, how can we make a long-term plan to help this week? I love volunteering, because it's incredibly easy, ridiculously appreciated, and I come away feeling embarrassingly good about myself.  Oh and it actually HELPS PEOPLE!  Want to help? Visit this site if you don't know where to start or want a fresh idea on where to pitch in: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/


What's the new trend this season? Bright-colored stripes!!!  How fun and cheerful is that?  Also, wedges making an appearance again this year, but with a fun twist...patterns on the wedge itself.  (A great way to play on something everyone already has....just enough to make the ones we have null and void, thanks).  I found these in Real Simple's April Edition:

Not only are they patterned, but they are also brightly striped, making them quite possibly the trendiest shoe in the world right now.  (plus they're nine west which totally rocks my world.)
Or how about these:

no fun stripes, but could totally match some fun striped little dress.  I've got to admit, I think I like it.  Let's be honest, some are just plain obnoxious:But, if that's your thing, don't let me stop you!!

Ok, so the April Issue of Real Simple is totally rocking my world.  It's got so much.  Martha Stewart is either the most brilliant person on the planet, or she hired them, which I guess still makes her brilliant.  Just check out these article titles: "Speed-clean your refrigerator in 20 minutes"  "Spring-cleaning shortcuts"  "Trends worth trying" "15 minute dinners"  "10 ideas for eggs"  and that's just a few.  I will post as much as I can that I find post-worthy.  But we all know I had to start out with the shoes!!

Project: LGN--The skinny on fad diets and rumors

I am anti-diet.  You will never find anything on my blog promoting any kind fad diet. Most diets I have watched people undergo have resulted in some kind of health issue or massive weight gain as soon as they finish with it.  Hey Dr. Atkins, you realize that eating little to no carbs for several weeks causes severe bad breath AND your body needs carbs to work.  I'll say it again....calories in, calories out.  That's really all you need to know.  But I understand that we like to feel like we are following some kind of food and work-out plan that keeps us on track and that we know has worked for others.  For me, this usually just means I spend more time reading about it, shopping for it and preparing for it than I actually do exercising or losing weight.  If only I had jogged instead of reading that 200 page book then I would have actually lost weight.  Glamour magazine's February 2011 issue puts some of the myths to the test once and for all....it's very interesting:

"Will __________ help me lose weight?"-Cynthia Sass, R.D. tells what's fast, what's healthy, and what's not. (Her quotes are, in fact, in quotes, my personal narration in parentheses)

• A Juice Fast: No. "You will gain it back when you eat real food again."
• The Master Cleanse: No. "Subsisting on a mix of cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and lemon juice is like an extreme juice fast--but it doesn't contain any substantial food. At least with juice you're getting some calories and antioxidants."
• Going Raw: Maybe, all the veggies will keep your calories intake low, but many people eat too many nuts and seeds and end up gaining.  Plus, it's very hard to stick too.
• Cutting out "white" stuff: Yes. "Refined foods like white flour and sugar have been stripped of vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber--which leaves you with a more compact grain that has more calories bite for bite. cutting these out means you'll cut your total calories." It's quite possibly the healthiest, fastest way for any woman to lose weight.
• Drinking Milk: Yes, A new study found that dieters who consumed at least 12 oz of milk or other dairy lost more weight over the course of two years than those who had less. How this works isn't clear but the protein in dairy (stick to low-fat) may help keep you full.
• Spicy foods: Yes. "It boosts metabolism, and the more you eat, the more effect it has. It could take off up to 10 pounds in a year. (I was totally shocked to hear this, you can bet I'm adding spice to more things these days)
• Paying with Cash: Maybe. A recent study found that people who use a credit card made more impulse junk food buys.  And tend to buy more food in general.  (I would think it also makes us run through the drive-through more, it does me)
• A Gluten-free Diet: No, "Eliminating gluten--a grain protein in wheat, rye and barley--has nothing do with weight, even among people who are truly intolerant to it.
• Eating Breakfast: Yes. boosts you metabolism, keeps you from getting hungrier later and making poor choices.  Best bet is a mix of a sustaining protein, a little fat, and fiber.
• A Low-Carb diet: No. You may lose in the short term, but mostly water weight. "Carbs are the body's preferred fuel--that's why they're so plentiful in nature. Eliminate white carbs, and you'll likely lose weight, but take away whole grains, and you risk mood swings and cravings" (not to mention heart disease and halitosis!)
• Small meals; yes. nibbling something every three to five hours keeps your metabolism at a constant high and prevents the dips in blood sugar that lead to cravings and binges
• Taking Adderall--(personally I can't believe this even made the list....how stupid and dangerous to take an ADHD drug to lose weight...I don't believe I need to dignify this with the explanation.  Just don't be stupid)

So there you have it.  I thought a lot of that was pretty interesting.  So design your very own way of eating to achieve your goals...and speaking of goals, how am I doing??  Let's just see!!

Long-term Goal: 38 pounds by December 31
Short-term Goal: 10 pounds by May 1
Total weight loss to date: 7 pounds