Shabby Apple Giveaway

Hello readers :)

I am loving blogging more and more!  And I love linking up with more blog friends.  I especially love tweeting with blog friends (and I'm new to Twitter!).

Today I came across a $75 Shabby Apple giveaway via Two in Diapers and I thought I'd share the love!  I fell in love with the Ingrid dress:

Isn't it gorgeous?!  I could wear this to church, date night with B, or even shopping (b/c you know you feel better about yourself at the mall when you're dressed well!).  I hope I win it!

Also, it's still not too late to hop on to the linky party at The Life of a Wife.  Click below and meet new friends!

Confessions

It's the day of the week I look forward to every week.  Not only because it's aka "hump day" (yeah, I'm real mature)

but because it's CONFESSION TIME with Mrs. Bear!!!

Are ya ready?  (I am!)

I confess...I sometimes leave the dirty pots sitting overnight in the sink.  Through breakfast. Through lunch.  Then I wash them right before dinner.  Repeat cycle.  (hangs head in shame)

I confess...I have an unhealthy obsession with the Real Housewives franchise.  (Beverly Hills, Orange County, New Jersey, New York, Miami...even Atlanta).  And the christening scene from RHONJ's last season?  I hyperventilated.  True story.

I confess...I live my fashion vicariously through other bloggers.  So please keep posting your outfits!

I confess...I don't really care what I look like when I go to Walmart.  Have you seen the People of Walmart website?

I confess...I promptly put on lipgloss when I go into Walmart...just so I don't end up on that site.

I confess...my kitchen dinette is always cluttered with mail.  We don't even eat there.

I confess...my dog has pooped in my next door neighbor's yard and I didn't pick it up.  (hangs head even lower with shame).  Not that I'm putting up an excuse, but they don't pick up after their dogs when they go in my yard, either.  Just sayin'.

I confess...my biological clock just started ticking.  I always thought that was baloney until this week.  I held my breath and told my husband.  B looked at me sideways through raised eyebrows at this admission.  I think I saw...panic?

That's all for this week blogger friends!  

Please join Mrs. Bear and I on Wednesdays for Confessions! 

(you know you wanna!)

Monday Musings

What a day!  My hometown (NYC) has taken a beating from Sandy.  Thankfully, friends and family have been safe so far.

On a lighter note,  I've had a few things on my mind that I wanted to put out there that might make you laugh.

For some reason, when I turned on the TV this morning the Marie Osmond show was on.  (I didn't know she had a show).  They were featuring a segment called "Wacky Products that Really Work" and I thought I'd share some with you.  (Please don't tell your families I gave you these ideas as stocking-stuffers! HAHA).  My sarcastic replies free of charge :) 

Razor Reach - Shaving Made Easy.  Shave Without Bending.  Perfect for Pregnancy, Injuries, Arthritis, Post-Surgical Use, Stand Up Showers.  Just attach your razor. 

Forgive the smile on my face, as I'm sure the idea would be helpful to some people with the above conditions.  However, I know that if I were recuperating from surgery, the last thing I'd care about was prickly legs.  And, I don't know about you...but OUCH!  When I see this picture I remember myself as a young teenager haphazardly shaving the back of my ankles and almost bleeding to death.  Maybe this is something that pregnant women would use.  I wouldn't know; I haven't been that blessed yet.  All I have to say is, I'll cross that road when I get to it.  Who knows how sexy I'll feel when pregnant that I'll need to shave my legs?!

On The Cuff - Keeps your arms dry while you wash your face!  Developed after years of frustration. "Every time I would wash my face the water would run down my arms, on to the counter top, then the floor and before I knew it water was everywhere." Really?  You mean to tell me that it would be too hard to wash your face in the shower?  That's where I have my face wash.  I'm sorry if that was a little...off the cuff.  Just saying.

La Decollete - the Anti-Wrinkle Bra. Because of this special bra, your breasts are more or less forced to stay in place so no vertical wrinkles will occur and your cleavage will stay smooth.  Ok, I will say, this seems like a good idea.  I have seen quite a few women with deep creases on their sternums...in their 70s!  I don't think younger women need to worry about this, especially not at £45!!  I say buy a pool floating noodle and cut it to size.  Insert before bed.

Bootie Pies - Warm and cozy pedicure boots let you enjoy pedicures in the winter.  Before nail polish application, lift the arch of the boot and slip your toes out to rest on the tip of the boot.  They only cost $88...but this one is on sale for $58!  Right.  You're talking to the girl who won't spring the extra $20 for a "spa" pedicure.  Maybe this is important for you, but I usually wear my big roomy Uggs after the nail polish is 100% dry.  Cost = FREE.

For the rest of the wacky products, see the list at the Hallmark Channel.  I know I got a laugh out of these products.  I hope you did, too!

Starting next week, I will be listing "Monday Musings" under:

My Life Lately

Thank the Lord that Sandy "aka Frankenstorm" did not come anywhere near our area in southeast Georgia!  We just narrowly missed this nightmare, and B telling me that the greater Savannah area is long overdue for a hurricane did not make me any happier.  I am thinking of friends and family back North (and my mother-in-law who is moving from Maryland to West Virginia in this mess!) and hoping every one stays safe!

  I am linking up with Life on Leroy and The Weekend File for Life Lately.

and I am linking up with Join the Gossip, five30three, and Sami's Shenanigans for Weekend Update. 

Here is what my life has looked like lately:

Yay!  Our little tree is FINALLY starting to show some semblance of Fall.  This is a big deal to me as most trees around me are evergreens, and autumn is my FAVE season of the year!

This is the most decorating I've made for the season.  I'm a little ashamed, but I rather invest my resources on Christmas (my hands down FAVE time of year)!

I made chili (for the first time EVER!) on Friday when the South felt the passing of Sandy.  Cumin is my new love!  My darling hubby made the cornbread.  I'm so happy to be married to a foodie!

Here is my beloved Chip!  (aka Choopie-Choop, and Chewie-Chomp-Chomp).  I was baking more of my homemade Peanut-Butter Pumpkin treats and he was paaaatiently waiting for them to be done.

I'm a tad obsessed with this "Frankenstorm."  If I were still teaching in Baltimore, I'd be home (terrifed) watching this through the windows just as I did last year for hurricane Irene.  (B insisted on sleeping with the bedroom window open to "hear" the wind.  I remember wondering if he was deaf, and I didn't sleep a wink.)

Lastly, this is my FIRST post on my new blog!  I recently moved from Wordpress and I am just LOVING the community feeling of Blogger!  I joined these parties as a way to meet new bloggers!  I created the header using this wonderful tutorial on Clover Lane.  She is awesome, and I hope my blog grows up to be just like hers one day!  I hope you enjoy my new blog!  I am in love with it!

Friday Favorites

I am a tad late with this week's Friday Favorites! Forgive me. I've played chauffeur to my loving hubby to and from the airport two hours away at odd hours, twice. (Leaving at 4am and 9pm to be exact).

This weeks favorites are:

Favorite drink:

I've always loved orange soda. It's like crack to me. I drink it maybe 1x or 2x a year because of the outrageous calorie counts. This week I discovered Diet Sunkist. OMG is right! Now, I know there's all this terrible stuff that artificial sugar does, but I don't care. It's delicious!

Favorite place to eat:

Mellow Mushroom is a southern pizza chain. Delicious pizza is their game. It's not New York pizza, but I prefer it a million times over Papa Johns that I was introduced to in Maryland. It has a bar (where I greedily sipped my signature cocktail, the Cosmopolitan), and you can see the workers tossing pizza dough singing to the music on the radio...with their coworkers. Mellow indeed! It's a fantastic place. Their signature cheese pizza with Parmesan-crusted edges steals my heart!

Favorite Blog:

Mrs. Bear's blog, Think Happy Thoughts, is my favorite blog!  She's a sweetheart!  She has the  nicest clothes (don't let her make you think otherwise) and I secretly wish I was her size so I can "borrow" her clothes.  She's been having a rough week so give her blog some love!

That's all for this week!  Thanks for stopping by!

Confessions...

It's that time again! Confession time. I've been waiting for this all week. Healthy purging is...well, healthy. And I have quite a few things to get off my chest!

I confess...I've changed the theme of my blog too many times this week.

I confess...I'm still not 100% satisfied with the theme of the blog.

I confess...I enjoy poking fun at my poor little dogs while they sleep. I blame America's Funniest Home Videos for the mischievous elf inside me.



I confess...I only washed my car today because someone wrote profanity in the soot caking the car.

I confess...I have had a pile of clean laundry to fold in the living room for 3 days...and counting. Is it bad that they're starting to blend in with the chair?

I confess...I had a few choice words for the old hag that pulled into the spot next to me at Walmart on Monday. And they're all monosyllabic, four letter words! I was about to open my door and climb in when I saw her barreling down in her big boat of a car. Since I don't trust any strangers (it's the New Yorker in me) I waited a second to make sure she'd stop to let me climb in while making eye contact with her. Does she stop? NO! She pulls in next to me almost running over my foot. All I could do was shake my fist at her while she pretended to read her National Enquirer. Seriously? Who does that? You saw me standing there!

I confess...I want to tape a thumb tack on my doorbell à la Dennis the Menace. Last night (coincidentally while my hubs is away on business and I'm all alone with two "guard" dogs who'd lick you to death), one of the neighborhood pranksters rang the door bell just as Lord Voldemort is in his full horrific glory in the last Harry Potter film. Yeah, you can imagine how high off the couch I jumped. Ringing the doorbell once is one thing, but ringing it multiple times at 9 pm, in the pitch black night, and setting off my yappy dog is another. Maybe tar and feathers is an option?

Lastly, I usually remember one more thing I want to confess AFTER I finish my Confessions entry. That's all for now!

I hope you enjoyed my confessions! Join the party at Think Happy Thoughts!!

How To Iron a Dress Shirt

When I was in college, I had several friends ask me to iron one article of clothing or another. Whether it was her pants or her shirt (or a last minute formal date's dress shirt!) I was there for the rescue.

My husband is going out of town on business tomorrow, and we realized he didn't have any dry-cleaned shirts. We didn't have time to run to the dry cleaners, so I washed and ironed several shirts for him.

I think I iron shirts better than the dry cleaners. I put my love into them. And I kinda have to, haha. My work is scrutinized by the highest standards...my husband!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I'd post a tutorial on here. I hope you find this helpful!

You'll need:
a sturdy ironing board with sufficient padding
iron with steam capability
heavy spray starch

I used: 

Step 1:

Spray the inside of the collar.  Iron BOTH sides (don't cheat!).

Step 2:

Grab one of the sleeves and lay flat on the ironing board.  Decide whether you want the seam to be on top (facing the front of the shirt) or below (facing the back of the shirt).  Fix accordingly.  Starch and iron.  Carefully flip over; starch and iron.  Repeat on other sleeve.

Step 3:

Starch and iron the shoulders of the shirt.  Any minimal wrinkling that arises can be easily fixed at the end.

Step 4:

Starting with the breast pocket area, carefully starch and iron the rest of the shirt.  Make sure shirt is taut so as to not create unwanted creases.  Fix any minor wrinkles that may have formed in the process (see Step 3, above).

Step 5:

Carefully hang the shirt.  You're done!

Chicken & Shrimp Coconut Curry Soup

adapted from MelsKitchenCafe

B and I love going out to dinner. (Who doesn't?) But after a while it can get costly, not to mention that your favorite dishes might not be up to par at a new restaurant. That's what happened when we were at the beach last week. We visited a Thai/Japanese sushi joint and my husband ordered a Tom Ka Gai that did not taste very well. Actually, it was horrible.

Last night I surprised him with a similar, homemade soup. It was DELICIOUS! (Unfortunately, we forgot to turn the burner off and we weren't able to get seconds.) Major disappointment! :(



This soup is really easy to make and it makes you look like a great chef! It can also be tweaked to your liking.

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces*
1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp (remove tails)
salt and pepper for seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
2 freshly minced garlic cloves
1 chopped medium yellow onion (red onion is OK)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
10 oz. bag matchstick carrots for cooking
1 (or 2) 14 oz. can(s) shiitake mushrooms
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or 1-1/2 32 oz. containers)
2 cans (14 oz.) Goya coconut milk**
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)***
1-2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp lemongrass paste
1/2 tsp fresh basil or basil paste
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, cut into 1 in. pieces

1-2 cups egg noodles cooked al dente, or 1-2 cups hot cooked rice

*chicken thighs may be substituted for a richer taste
**unsweetened light coconut milk may be used instead
***cayenne pepper does not make the soup spicy, instead, it enhances the overall flavor. I used about 1/2 tsp and the soup was milder than the mildest hot chicken wings I've ever had. Ground ginger, in my opinion, adds more heat.

Directions

In a large pot (or dutch oven), heat the oil until it is hot and shimmering. Season the chicken with garlic powder (optional), salt,  and pepper to taste.  Add them to the hot oil.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the freshly minced garlic cloves, onions,  red pepper, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and shrimp. (DO NOT used pre-minced garlic from the store.  They will burn immediately!)  Cook shrimp for 2 minutes on each side until they are light pink.  DO NOT overcook.  The chicken, shrimp and vegetables don't have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, curry powder, ground ginger, lemongrass paste, and basil paste.  Stir to combine.  Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat.

In the meantime, cook the egg noodles (or rice) in a separate pot with lightly salted boiling water.  Chop the cilantro into 1 in. sections (including the stems).  Stir in lime juice and cilantro.  Add curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground ginger, brown sugar, salt, or pepper to taste.

Don't be afraid to add more or less of anything stated in the ingredient list.  The key here is to tweak to your personal preferences.

Serve the soup over noodles or rice.  Enjoy!!!

Friday Favorites

It's Friday!!!  YAY!  I love celebrating the arrival of the weekend, even if it's with a simple glass of wine!  Today I am joining the Bargain Blonde for a Friday Favorites party!

1. It's finally in the 70s here in southern Georgia. I love the weather! It's been in the mid 80s through last week! Ugh! The best thing is turning off the AC, opening the windows, and saving money on energy all while feeling good.

2. This is the closest thing to autumn I have near me: a tree with mostly green leaves and a speckle of red and yellow here and there. (Don't knock on my tree!)

3.  This is a two-for-one favorite: actor and show.  I swoon for Jensen Ackles.  He's in the show Supernatural on the CW.  He's my celebrity crush, and the hubs knows it.  (My hubs crushes hard on Sofia Vergara, so I can have one, too!) I can't describe what I feel when I see an image of Jensen.  Only that I feel like a silly teenager again, lol.  Here's one of my favorite pictures of him. (I think my heart just skipped a beat!)



4. I am loving Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Lifting Eye Serum.  Yeah...lifting.  A curse word in my book.  Okay, I don't really have wrinkles...yet.  However, I had an allergic reaction around my eyes for applying an antioxidant serum meant for the face (that serum is amazing, just not meant for the eyes).  I'm debating on whether I should post the before and after pictures.  This little cream was moisturizing without burning.  I've never found that in an eye cream until now.  Olay, I love you!



That's all for favorites!  Join the party!

Confessions

It must be Wednesday!  Time for more confessions

I confess... I slacked off on Zumba since going to the beach.  I haven't done Zumba in a week (wah!) so today I must change that!

I confess... on our first trip to the dog park at Cocoa Beach, FL, Daisy was swarmed by other curious dogs and I kinda liked it.  She was terrified! She ran every where trying to hide, making pathetic little "seal" noises, and ended up hiding between a trash can and the fence.  There's a reason we call her "little b*tch" at home: she beats up her older brother, Chip, and she needed to be put in her place.   (Don't worry, I gave her LOTS and LOTS of love after that!)

I confess... I went to 7 Eleven and got an Obama cup just to annoy the republicans at the dog park.  <insert cheshire smile here>

I confess... my original reason for going to 7 Eleven was due to an article where a woman was offered a free cup of coffee if she committed to choosing either an Obama or Romney cup.  Yeah, I paid $1.90 for that cup.  The free cup was only on 9/28/2012.  Womp, womp.

I confess... I thoroughly enjoyed watching Joe Biden spank Paul Ryan during last week's VP debates.  Sorry repubs...

I confess... I drank a whole bottle of Moscato by myself at the beach.  With pizza.  And chips.  And wings.

I confess... I added Pinterest buttons on my blog just so I can pin them to Pinterest and scatter myself all over the web.  Yeah, I have no shame!

I confess... I found deeper creases under my eyes and have been obsessed with wrinkle creams for a week now.  What the heck?  I'm not even 30 yet!!!

I confess... I found more grays in my hair and vainly dyed my hair for the first time in years.  I almost cried!

Alright, that's all for my confessions today.  I hope you enjoyed my confessions, and I hope I'm not the only person guilty of all the above!  Please join the confessions party and take a load off!!!

"Fly by the Seat of Your Pants" Dinner

We've all been there: the fridge's contents leave a lot to be desired... countertops start to resemble a desert... you almost swear you see tumbleweeds flying through your kitchen...

OK, I exaggerate but you know what I mean. Whether you are dragging your feet to go grocery shopping or waiting for payday, we all come across a dwindling supply of food in the kitchen at some point or another. The hubs and I were away enjoying the beach for a little over a week, and I needed to grocery shop BEFORE we left. Oops. My hubby is a professional at whipping amazing meals with next to nothing. Last night I had a shining moment like that.

On the menu: meatloaf and mashed potatoes. If you only knew how little was in our kitchen, you'd know this was a big deal! I just happened to have 1 lb. of ground beef and 1 lb. of ground turkey in the freezer (admittedly for a future dog treat!). On the kitchen counter I had two sweet potatoes and two red potatoes that must have been at least a week or two old. Miraculously they were still edible.

Anyway, I've never made meatloaf before so I thought I'd give it a go, and have mashed sweet potatoes as the side.

Meatloaf

What you'll need:
1.5 lbs ground beef (85% lean recommended)
1 small onion
3 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic
Garlic powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

80% - 85% lean meat ensures that you'll have just enough fat to make it moist. 90% lean is a little healthier, but you risk having your meatloaf turn out a little dry. My bare bones kitchen didn't have enough ground beef, so I added 1/2 lb of 90% lean ground turkey. It still turned out moist and tasty!

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Thaw your ground beef [and ground turkey]. While the meat thaws, saute one small chopped onion in 3 tbsp of butter until they turn translucent. Add in three cloves of garlic for another two minutes. In the mean time, break up your ground meat in a large bowl. Add in the onion, garlic and butter mixture into the meat and mix thoroughly.



Add the egg, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, garlic powder, and salt and pepper (to taste). B and I are garlic lovers so I added 1 tbsp of garlic powder in addition to the sauteed garlic. (I also only had about 1/2 small onion so the extra garlic was needed). You can substitute beef stock for the chicken stock. Chicken stock was all I had!



Once all your seasonings are thoroughly mixed into the meat, add the bread crumbs and mix well. Form the meat into a loaf into a lightly greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish or bread loaf pan. Set aside while you make the topping. I used plain Progresso bread crumbs and the meatloaf was tasty. Next time I might try seasoned bread crumbs.

Topping:

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mustard, and sugar. Pour the topping over your meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes / Red Potatoes

You'll need:
2 sweet potatoes
2 small red potatoes
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
salt, to taste
1/4 cup milk*

Cut the potatoes into quarters (or slices for faster cooking). Boil until soft, or until a fork glides easily through them. The thinner/smaller the potatoes are cut, the faster they'll be ready.

Drain the water, leaving the potatoes in their pot. DO NOT remove the skins! They are nutritious in addition to adding fiber to the meal. In a small bowl, combine the spices and the milk. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and, using a hand blender or potato masher, mash the potatoes to the smoothness you desire. And voila! Dinner is served!

We were too hungry to bother with served dish shots so leftover shots are all I have:

* I did not have milk (yeah, I'm going shopping today), but I did have 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. I added a little bit [too much] of water to that as a substitute for milk, but it still turned out tasty!

Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I love my puppies! They are my furbabies (and one day when I have my own babies, they'll continue to be my furbabies!) They are both so loving and each has their own personality that makes us laugh. Unfortunately, they are very nosy, curious creatures and get into mischief from time to time. And the evidence is found in the grass (and sometimes our floor). Poor pups.

Every dog owner should have two things at hand at all times in case of the puppy runs:

1. Anti-Diarrhea medication (kaolin/pectin). I usually get the generic formula at Petsmart or Petco. Kaolin is the anti-diarrhea component, while pectin coats and soothes the digestive tract.


2. Canned pumpkin. And NOT pumpkin pie mix! Nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice don't do anything to soothe their tummies. Canned pumpkin can be found in the baking aisle of your local supermarket. Some specialty pet stores will also carry them although they will cost you slightly more. And if you have small dogs like I do, one can will usually be too much.

Canned pumpkin is pumpkin in puree form. It is a good source of dietary fiber and provides bulk for your pup's digestive tract. It is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. Some vets even recommend canned pumpkin for weight loss in dogs. Pumpkin will absorb the excess water present in the digestive tract. This makes your dog’s stool more firm and results can be seen within a few hours. I've been told to give your small dog one and a half to two teaspoons of canned pumpkin. For a larger dog, give two tablespoons instead.

If anyone has witnessed a parent attempt to give cough syrup to their child, you'll know of the lengths of trickery that sometimes parents have to go through to administer meds. My furbabies are no exception. Watch:

See? Trickery needed. One thing I've learned living with these puppies is that they can't turn down anything cooked in the kitchen. So I concocted up pumpkin treats with canned pumpkin.

You will need:

1/2 of 15oz. can of pumpkin (makes about 50 treats)

2 tsp peanut butter

1 egg

non-stick canola oil spray

1 cup of brown rice four (see below)

I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour. I found it in the gluten-free area at Walmart, but I'm sure it is readily found at Whole Foods or other organic shops. Many, many dogs have wheat and corn allergies and brown rice flour is a great alternative to wheat flour. Next time I need to buy more, I will pick up Bob's Red Mill potato flour. I try to feed my dogs a grain-free diet and their food, Orijen, is excellent and uses potato as the binder for their food.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin, egg, and peanut butter. (I added the egg and peanut butter because the pumpkin has the consistency of apple sauce and would otherwise require TONS more flour). Add enough flour so that your mixing spoon can stand on its own, about a cup or so.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the batter onto the cookie sheet and flatten with your hands. It's been my experience that pumpkin will only cling to a rolling pin, so I've had to use my hands. Once flat on the cookie sheet, use the tip of a silicone spatula to cut the batter into squares. The edges don't have to be perfect.

Bake for 20 minutes. The center and bottoms of the treats will still be a little moist. Flip them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. You can finish tearing them off into individual treats at this time.

I think I've caught someone's attention...

Chip..would you like one?  Are you sure?

Alright, alright. You can have one.

This recipe made about 50 treats. You can add bananas and applesauce with additional flour if you'd like, but my gullible puppy liked it with peanut butter. I added a dash of garlic powder for more aroma, but it's not necessary.

IMPORTANT: These treats will need to be refrigerated as there are no preservatives in them. My first batch, when stored in a Ziploc bag on the kitchen counter, started to mold after one week, so I highly recommend refrigerating them.

I hope your puppies like them as much as mine do!