Friday, September 28, 2012

Winner-European Bouquet

My random.org selection was Susan S #209!  Congrats and thanks to everyone who entered my contest!!



Melanie

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Fall Weather?

It's getting to be that time of year when everyone is tired of the heat, especially those in hotter places.  I am so excited for Fall!!! Bring on the cooler nights, and more importantly, days!



Monday, September 24, 2012

Making Tuesday Tasty-Garden Veggie Soup

This recipe is kind of loosely based on Alton Brown's Garden Vegetable soup.  I don't ever write down my amounts when I cook, so I like to alter other recipes and post here to my liking.   
I usually use organic and lower sodium chicken broth as my base but, you could definitely use vegetable broth!  It enriches the flavor.  I also often add at the very end a can of unsalted green beans because it's easier.  I love tomatoes but, my family doesn't so I generally will add either the really small diced, and canned tomatoes or, I will add a large jar or can of tomato sauce to give the broth a richness. 

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes or a large can of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh basil leaves or a small bunch of cilantro(do according to your taste)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

 SERVES 6

Thursday, September 20, 2012

European Garden Birthday Bouquet Giveaway!

Guess What?!  I got a gorgeous flower arrangement sent to me!  I was so excited to see how these would be arranged and, couldn't help but love them when they arrived.  I received from a local florist but, the order was made online at fromyouflowers.com.

The particular arrangement was to check out their birthday flowers.  This one in particular is a European Garden Birthday bouquet, and it varies slightly based on the seasonal flowers used and the types of balloons that come with it.  Mine contained a beautiful variety with roses, lilies, sunflowers, etc.


The arrangement was very fresh, the flowers perky and vivid in color.  The balloon was sweet with a sentiment that could come from anyone that you know.  The vase was a clear glass vase with a bit of raffia tied in a bow around it.  I've had this arrangement for about ten days now and the only thing that has really wilted is the roses which I removed and threw away.

Overall, really great experience with this company.  The local company delivered on the order which showed a good working relationship with from you flowers.  I am really impressed with the quality!

Want to win a bouquet for someone special, or maybe just for yourself?  Enter the contest below and Good luck!  Rafflecopter contains the rules, USA only, ends September 27, 2012.
Add fromyouflowers.com to your Google+.
  a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Snoozing


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Making Tuesday Tasty-Creamy Dijon vinaigrette

Making your own salad dressing, or marinade is hands down one of the best things you can do to brighten up your food at home. It's quick, easy, and makes everything taste better. It also leaves out the bad stuff like added sugars, salts, and chemicals that are in bottled dressings.

This recipe was featured in Bon Appetit magazine for this month

Ingredients

1/4 cup good-quality red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 garlic clove 1
/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

 Pulse 1/4 cup good-quality red or white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 garlic clove in a blender to combine. With motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, then 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

*thanks to epicurious.com for posting this recipe*

Monday, September 17, 2012

College Book Rentals, Who Knew?

I've been out of school for ahem, awhile, let's say.  I had no idea that there was a website out there for college book rentals instead of having to purchase a new or used book for one of your classes.  Of course, I think it's a genius idea and that's why I chose to write about it.  A college student has a difficult enough time between tuition, books, living costs, transportation, etc.  Why not give them a break?

Campusbookrentals.com is a website that not only saves you money on the books that you need for your classes but, they also save you on shipping because it's free both ways!

Perks of renting your college books:
  • Save 40-90% off of bookstore prices
  • free shipping both ways.
  • You are allowed to highlight in the books
  • Flexible renting periods
  • A donation to Operation Smile is made each time you rent a book
Operation Smile is a charity that donates surgery for children who are born with a cleft lip, palate, and other facial deformities.  This operation has been running since 1982.  They performed over 200,000 free surgeries to children in need. A donation with your rental is even more incentive, if you ask me.

How Does Campus book rentals work?  Well here is a price difference for example of a textbook rental titled, Psychology By Hockenbury, and below is a video that shows you a little more detail for a how to.


 How does it work?:

Friday, September 14, 2012

Girl's 2012 Halloween Costumes And Review



Halloween is right around the corner guys!  Can you believe it's that time already?  There are so many choices out there now for kids to be anything they want to be.  My daughter is constantly playing with her costumes and dress up items during the year, so much so, that it can actually be an investment that lasts and lasts.

Costumes can also have a tendency to be very expensive for a one day affair so checking out wholesale Halloween costumes can be a great idea.  If you have more than one child that dresses up, it can be a big deal as well. 

I recently got a Strawberry Shortcake costume for my daughter to try out.  She has fairy and princess style costumes so she wanted something different.  To say my daughter is obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake might be an understatement.  She's watched many a movie and show, so we thought this would be a good fit.

We ordered online and the kit included a dress, a hat, and tights.  My daughter raced to put it all on, and was so excited to look just like Strawberry.  The dress has a cute pattern and is very shiny. The material is a standard costume thin synthetic.  The hat matches, and the tights are sparkly and striped.  This is a perfect, fun, Halloween option for this year.  If it's really cold where you are during October, I would suggest some layering and ordering a size up in this costume.

Check out wholesalehalloweencostumes.com and their Twitter @whcostumes for more cute and crazy costumes!

 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Wordless Wednesday-Excited


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Making Tuesday Tasty-Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Really Yummy one pot dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

*recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis*