Morsel Monday and NutraSalt Giveaway :: CLOSED

If you haven't already please partake in the Extraordinary Mothers Morsel Monday link up! Participating is a lot of fun and a great way to find new dining delights for the family and hey, linky love!

This week I am "spicing" up the post with a review and giveaway of a product I received to try from the fabulous folks at NutraSalt. You are probably wondering what NutraSalt is and how nutra and salt can be combined together and not be an oxymoron. The NutraSalt product is a balanced product of sodium and potassium, 66% less sodium, to be exact, compared to common table salt. The proprietary product in NutraSalt's recipe is the harvesting of Red Sea and Dead Sea salts from the Mediterranean.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the extra pinch of salt here and there can add up resulting in excessive sodium intake based on levels of sodium in processed foods, natural sources, and the extra shake during food preparation and at meal time.

Excessive sodium intake lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease which results in hundreds of thousands of deaths a year if not lifetime treatments such as dialysis for kidney disease. NutraSalt helps to replace the use of common salt in a healthier alternative to traditional table salt, allowing for the flavor but not the health risks often associated with excess salt intake.

NutraSalt comes in a variety salts and seasonings to "spice" up any recipe:

• Low Sodium Sea Salt
• Seasoned Salt
• Texas BBQ
• Savory Garlic
• Zesty Italian
• Lemon Dill
• Lemon Herbs
• Robusto Adobo
• Spicy Cajun
• Bold Chipotle
• African Medley
• Asian Fusion
• Classic Curry

I received to try in my home the Low Sodium Sea Salt, Savory Garlic Lemon Dill, Bold Chipotle, Asian Fusion and the African Medley. I used every single one on some of my favorite meals. The Asian Fusion is absolutely divine on chicken and pork, I used them both on the grill and they added just that extra kick of spice to the flavor. Savory Garlic, I used that on my spaghetti dish when making garlic bread. Finally, my favorite is the African Medley which I used to make my Turkey Chili. The African Medley has flavors of cinnamon, peppers, ginger, and again the right balance of sodium and potassium. I know you are thinking "cinnamon? In my Chili?" YES!

How can you enjoy a 4-pack of your choice of NutraSalt and make this a staple in your home?  Go to the NutraSalt site and tell me ONE fact in a comment (that I did not mention above. As a recap I mentioned it is derived from Sea Salt, is 66% lower in sodium, is rich in potassium).

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
• Tweet another fact about NutraSalt making sure to use @KariewithaK, the link to this giveaway, so I see your tweets. Daily RT's are available!
• Subscribe to The Fish in a Reader or via email (at the top)
• Blog this Giveaway! (worth 10 entries if you mention a fact, link to NutraSalt and this giveaway!)
• Email this giveaway to a friend (worth 3 entries)
• Fan The Fish on Facebook

CONTEST ENDS JANUARY 30TH 

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

Turkey Chili:

1.5lbs ground Turkey

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Black Beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can of corn

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

2 T. finely chopped Italian Parsley

2 T. finely chopped Cilantro

2 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Nutra Salt African Medley, divided (can be substituted with  2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground corriander, 1 T. chili powder, 1 tsp red peppers, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp onion powder)

I used my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker but a stove top cook pot works well too. Pour Olive oil into pan heating over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic until almost translucent add in ground turkey, parsley, cilantro, and 1/8 c. of NutraSalt African Medley (or the above substitutes halved). Cook until meat is browned and spices are mixed well. Add the can of tomatoes, beans, corn and remaining spices. Bring to a boil (add water if needed, but the canned juices should provide enough), stirring well, reduce to a simmer for at least an hour to let all the flavors mix. Serve with cornbread.

VOILA!

Pizza for You and Pizza for Me: zpizza :: CLOSED

Who in the world does not enjoy a good slice of pie? I for one thoroughly enjoy a good piece (or two) of a pizza pie from a great pizza joint. Especially this year! Why this year?

I have hosted THREE, yes, I said THREE major holidays this year of which two are the biggest, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For each one, I fail to cook the night before because let's face the facts; who wants to cook a dinner when the next day you spend the ENTIRE day cooking dinner for an army. Plus the baking, the cleaning, the humanity!

Pizza is a big fave in The Fish home and we also enjoy a good bout of organic goodies, I try to shop and buy as much as I possibly can because of all the benefits of going organic which you can read about here. Imagine my surprise when I heard of a pizza joint that has certified organic ingredients I was in heaven!

Seriously though even The Chad thought oxymoron, "Pizza" and "Organic" together? Not possible. Possible.

Well, until he tried zpizza with me and the kids.

Now zpizza is not just about pizza, but salads, sandwiches, and more. zpizza offers a healthy and lighter alternative to some of your favorite foods. The ingredients are some of the finest, exotic, and freshest. 100% certified organic tomato sauce and flour coupled with MSG-free pepperoni for a truly amazing dining experience.

The Fish family received certificates to enjoy a pizza (or other dining options) from zpizza in the last week and I tell you what, seriously some of the most filling, flavorful, tasty, mouth watering, no other pizza can whet your appetite like zpizza. No lie, hands down, some of the best pizza and not because we received certificates to try out the pizza on behalf of zpizza.

I have had a sampling of zpizza before but not like this night, it was HOT, fresh, and OH. SO. GOOD! We ordered locally here in Arizona at the Midtown Phoenix location of 53 W. Thomas Road. I love midtown, downtown Phoenix, lots of up and coming businesses, a very hip and modern area revived in the midtown, downtown area.

The hubs was raving, the kids were cheering, well they weren't really because they were too busy scarfing down the pizza but you catch my drift. We ordered the American, a wonderful blend of fresh veggies, meat, comparable to a "Supreme" at other pizza places but this one is FULL flavor.

The crust was more of a light bread of sorts, not doughy, not too thick, not too crunchy, the true essence of a brick oven pizza if you have ever had brick oven pizza. The cheese was mild, not salty like traditional pizzas, the sauce was light and enough to add flavor to the pizza without taking over the pie and not dripping off the slices. The toppings. OH, the toppings were out of this world! Fresh! Cooked even, and still fresh. Large helpings of toppings that were full of taste, crispness, and color. If you recall "traditional" pizza the toppings are meek, pitiful, lack in color and taste and most often are soggy from the loads of grease. These toppings literally POPPED from our pie.

Big G wasn't too hip on the toppings so The Chad and I gladly ate his veggie toppings, savoring, every. Last. Bite. Now "traditional" pizzas leave you full and dissatisfied with yourself, like a glutton, pure swine after you eat it, and even after we had our slices, we were pleasantly full. Not overstuffed like a turkey at holiday or the need to slip into sweat pants, but satisfied on more than several levels.

So does this pizza option sound tempting enough for you?

Is your mouth watering for this tasty delicacy so aptly misnamed as "pizza?"

GOOD! Here is how you can win a $20 certificate to zpizza and avoid cooking for one night!

Mandatory entry: Tell me where the nearest zpizza is to your home and which creation (pizza or otherwise) you would order in your home to chow on?

Extra entries:

• Follow zpizza on Twitter and get all the "dish"
• Follow my blog 
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway (daily RT's available): Enter this giveaway for $20 GC for @zpizza with @KariewithaK Ends Jan 5 http://tiny.cc/l1bE3
• Blog this giveaway
• Leave a substantial comment on a non-giveaway post (can't just say Oh Hey saying HI, share the love for Pete's sake) Worth 5 entries
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Enter one of my other giveaways and tell me you did (worth 1 entry per giveaway entry, this could be significant depending on the number of current giveaways)

CONTEST ENDS JANUARY  5th 2010

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of Luck!!

Gifts for the Chef: Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker

If anyone is the chef of the kingdom in your home this appliance is a winner. I am not a huge fan of "rice" unless of course as a small side with Sashimi. Yes...mmmm....the savory, slippery, luscious taste of sashimi, true raw fish. Not a California Roll, TRUE sushi. I think I was Japanese in another life. Moving on, the Cuisinart however is more than your standard rice cooker. As the name clearly suggests the Cuisinart is a "multi-cooker" which means you can make much more than rice in this fabulous appliance.

While I too am not a fan of crock-pot or slow cooker meals I do have my lazy moments that would make Martha Stewart shudder, for that, I am so sorry Martha. But I do not like to dirty a million pans, my pans are vey nice and I would much rather use them as art than to cook in. So the Cuisinart helps me to cut down on dishes by offering a cook function similar to that of a stove top fry pan.

I was making chili the other night and knew I had to use the Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology. I read a chili recipe in the recipe book that was included with the multi-cooker and the recipe was very similar to mine. A few variations but much similar to mine. So I followed the cooking instructions for the multi-cooker as to not damage the appliance nor ruin my creation.

The function that allows for cooking similar to the cooktop is Quick Cook option and I was able to brown my turkey meat and then I removed the meat and was able to saute my onions with my spices for a truly decadent taste. From there the cooker automatically shuts off based on the Quick Cook option, and I set the option for the slow cook meal of a few hours (you can adjust the time based on volume, etc) and I added my meat and wet ingredients to the cooker, shut the lid and VOILA. The cooker actually did cook my food perfectly, not too hot, not burned and not that burning ring you often see on your ceramic slow cooker, suggesting that maybe the meal got a bit too hot.

In addition to meals like chili, you can make oatmeal, risotto, different variations of rice such as sushi rice, brown rice, you can steam vegetables for wraps, dinners, and even reheat meals that were not prepared in a slow cooker. I even used my Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker to make a fabulous Rigatoni pasta dish. (The Cuisinart Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology also has a 3-year limited warranty.)

In all honesty I was completely skeptical. I wondered about the accuracy of the cook, the ability to handle the amount of food I so desired to cook, the cleaning, the ease of use, the electronics, and the name is "rice cooker" I was skeptical that all this appliance could do WAS. COOK. RICE. I was very pleased to find that is does not just do rice alone. So if you are shopping for someone who wants a rice cooker or a crock pot type gift, this appliance is a good all around gift to cover all of those bases.

Gifts for Everyone: Rubbermaid :: CLOSED

 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE! 

People treat Christmas like this is the only time of year to get someone something completely mind blowing. I mean, is December the only time to get the ones you love totally mind blowing gifts and the rest of the year is a buzz kill? Not in my house. No one likes my lists....I am practical, realistic, affordable, year round too! I like gifts that I can use everyday, that are appreciative, functional.

This year I thought to myself....Karie...what do you need or want? Well I wanted a vacation...but what I really need is organization! I scoured my kitchen, my house, my garage. Disarray! With three kids, twins no less, a dog, and a husband that works full time, blessed be that my house is traffic worthy and that it truly is as perfect as it is all the time. However, I have hidden secrets. Such as my Tupperware. Yes, my dark secret is my Tupperware cabinet fails me. FAIL I tell you.

I sought for the perfect Tupperware answer and Rubbermaid answered my call, the folks at Rubbermaid were so gracious to send me some to review for the gift guide.

Rubbermaid you ask? Like those Roughneck Totes? Yes. Imagine, roughneck totes for your kitchen. Functional storage with the quality of Rubbermaid brand and functionality. But here is the best part in my opinion. Rubbermaid offers 17 different kitchen products (well...more, but specifically these are for the kitchen). What is even better is their new food storage line of products has these great lids.

Lids? You ask. Yes, lids. Do you not hate when your lids are everywhere. A cluster mess of hide and seek for the right lid. Well Rubbermaid has these fabulous and I truly mean fabulous, ingenious snap and click lids.

So I reviewed the 20-piece food storage mixed set and I tell you what....I was ecstatic. I emailed Rubbermaid the day I got them and was bubbling over with the ease of use with the lids. How everything nested together. And...then put away so nicely. I washed them immediately and I absolutely had to try them because that day happened to be farm day for my CSA pick-up and I had produce that needed to be stored properly. I got to chopping and put the Rubbermaid food storage containers to the test, especially the produce savers. Here is what fresh, organic farm tomatoes look like in the Rubbermaid Produce Savers food storage.

Look at those tomato juices nesting at the bottom. This is what you tomatoes will normally sit in and that may make them more mushy once they have been chopped and diced, leaving them undesirable and you end up tossing them, thus wasting money. Well I hate to throw away money. So the produce savers are fabulous for those produce items that happen to be juicy or may turn juicy over time. You see the little green tray at the bottom? Well that keeps your produce fresh and out of the juice with the slots and raised platform, not to mention the venting holes at the top to help release the gasses the build up as produce is stored. But here is what Rubbermaid suggests for your produce storage, which is that you "do not cut the produce before storing" [Rubbermaid, 2009], read more here.

But the produce savers are not the only products The Five Fish tested and the Lock-Its with the secure tab, the Premier, and the Easy Find lids. All with the click lids for easy storage and access.

Rubbermaid is not just store for your stuff and food, but they also have Closet and Laundry storage and organization, Garage organization, any space you can think of and the products to make life more functional and easy! Who can tell me they would turn down functional?

Do you have a chef at home, wife, mother, sister, brother, maybe a college student who could use these. All around Rubbermaid is a great gift idea for anyone who could use storage. You want some you say? Well here is your chance to win a 20pc Food Storage Mixed Set with The Five Fish:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me your pet peeve with Tupperware or storage in general. (Be sure to leave your email address or make your blogger profile public so your email address is available.)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Fan Rubbermaid on Facebook
• Follow my blog, tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once daily is allowed!)
  
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Grab my holiday button 
• Grab my regular button
• Blog about this giveaway, with a link to me and Rubbermaid.
  
• Enter one of my other giveaways
  

 Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE

and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER  24TH @ 

MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (PST)

Best of luck!

I Heart My CSA

I just have to tell you all again how much I love my CSA.

What is a CSA you ask? Community Supported Agriculture

Agriculture? As in farm? You got it!

I had never heard of a CSA until one of my twin mommies told me about it and I have to tell you I am hooked! I don't think I can go back to the standard way of buying my produce and eggs from the store. I did a HUGE post about it some time ago, so you can go read all about the deets there and why CSA's are important to our community, the environment, and of course....YOUR HEALTH!!

But enough of my soap box....just take a gander at these beauties!

Look at all of that!! And that my friends and readers....is just a ONE WEEK basket from a CSA. Let me detail all the wonderful items in that picture for you if you can't already decipher:

One Dozen Eggs

2 Armenian Cucumbers (which are THE BEST, super crunchy and tasty!)

One watermelon (last of the season and still sweet as sugar!)

Butternut squash, perfect for fall

Licorice Basil (OMG the aroma...my whole fridge smells like it, and just YUMMY), I can't wait to make my famous Pan Chicken with this and some FABULOUS Organic Marinara Sauce

Now here we have Okra, which I fried up last night in a tablespoon of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, peppered and added some Parmesan and OMG was it to DIE FOR!

Organic Tomatoes, which are JUST again TO DIE FOR!

Organic Pomegranate which I am DYING to dive into today

Acorn Squash, again PERFECT for fall

Finally, a Purple Bell Pepper which smells divine and cannot wait to use in a recipe I have

So let me ask you.....Do you know where your produce and food comes from?

If not? You should!

Mine is made with lots of love from my fabulous farmer Mike.

This is his farm:

Learn all about CSA's and or Food Coop's by going HERE and enjoy all the benefits of Organic farming, supporting your local farmers, businesses, and heck the kids will LOVE going to the farm like mine do.

The Hot Dog Debacle

I am a weeny loving girl!

I proudly flaunt that truly nothing tastes better on a warm summer, late fall day than a juicy, warm, plump, weeny. You thought I was going to say something else. Get your mind out of the gutter...but I like your thinking!

Today, like any day when debating about what exactly to eat for lunch the hubs decides to make a few hot dogs. We here at The Five Fish LURVE hot dogs. Turkey dogs, kosher dogs, lips and sphincter dogs, we like 'em all. While he was preparing his 210 calorie feast, I was munching on edamame. Healthy choice for the dieter in me. However, I buckled when I truly needed more than a snack, so I figured I could make room for the calories and be well within my count for the day.

But here is where the weeny situation gets slippery.

DH adds the following condiments to his forbidden snack:

Ketchup

Mustard

MAYO

(WTF?!)

Um who ordered mayo?!

Yes, I am the communist of all weeny munchies. I refuse, refuse to add the mayo to a perfectly tasty treat. Load me up on onions, relish, mustard and ketchup, each lining the sides mind you, as my OCD cannot handle it any other way. But HOLD. THE. MAYO.

So I beg the question to those of you who love the weeny

between a soft pair of buns what do you slather it with?
Are you like me with mustard, ketchup, relish, and onions?

Chex Mix Bars Giveaway & Review

Okay, you have seen how I am a professed food junkie. I love food. I love to cook food, eat food, hate food. You saw my post on snacks, everyday you need a snack. Some days though, you want something deep fat fried and smothered in chocolate. You know you do! You, just like me want that sweet, salty, tang, ooey, gooey, crunchy goodness.

Well by golly General Mills made a snack especially for people like me, who want something deep fat fried and smothered in chocolate but you do not want all the guilt, I mean calories associated with a snack that is perfectly delicious.

Here is some great info about Chex Mix and Chex Mix Bars:

Low in fat and cholesterol free, moms love Rice Chex and Corn Chex cereal because they are low in sugar. For more than 60 years, Chex has offered calcium, vitamins and an enjoyable crunch.

Each bar is less than 200 calories and less than 4 grams of fat per serving! (Talk about guiltless snacking right?) Chex Mix Bars come in two flavors Turtle and Chocolate Chunk.

This delicious snack combines crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels and peanuts with chewy and indulgent ingredients like caramel and chocolate. And if that“s not enough, they have less than 150 calories per bar and provide at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (48 grams recommended daily)! A great combination of the ingredients you love, Chex Mix Bars are a tasty treat that will leave you feeling satisfied and guilt-free!

Now our house was able to test (HA! You mean demolish) two boxes of Chex Mix Bars in Turtle. The ladies and gents over at My Blog Spark must have known that I absolutely LOVE anything with caramel and chocolate. Seriously, my favorite ice cream (next to Mint Chocolate chip) is Baskin Robbins Gold Medal Ribbon, which is vanilla with chocolate and caramel. YUM.

So seriously we receive the boxes like a few days after we demolish the Nature Valley Nut Clusters. Yeah, like I said, we are addicts. But we receive the boxes and that day and for some reason or another I am annoyed about something. I am driving my mad blond self around the house directionally cleaning. So I am like a street sweeper right, picking up stuff that will only get tossed around again by the gnomes. Pointless. But nonetheless cleaning. DH is snacking on one of these bars. The annoyed level goes to an all time as he is smacking on those things, just oozing how fabulous they are. Right, I pass on trying one. STUBBORN! ASS! I should have ripped it out of his hot little hands and munched on it!

Chex Mix Bars Turtle are my slice of heaven. I for one am not a fan of bars of anything. I rarely eat granola bars again for the mess, or candy bars for the guilt. Again, H-E-A-V-E-N!! So here is the skinny:

Me: They are crunchy without being too crunchy and not too squishy or sticky like some candy bars are and not too crunchy like granola where you have crumbs everywhere making you look like that Rock eating monster from The Neverending Story. (You know which one right?) I feel satisfied without feeling guilty or like I need to spend an extra hour RUNNING my tail down to work off those extra chocolate calories. Plus, LOW IN FAT! They have a few grams of protein, not a massive amount of sugar, and fiber. We all need fiber.

DH: "OMG have you tried these? Seriously take a bite? THOSE ARE FREAKING SO DAMN GOOD! They have to be illegal. Do they have them in the store, can you go buy some more?"

Yeah he is super easy. I think he said the same thing about the nuts too. Anyway, I love them, Big G loves them the Squids even had some nibbles and walked off lip smacking too which is a sign that The Fish family enjoyed the Chex Mix Bars.

Now all the cool and fabulous deets about this tasty giveaway. I am pleased to announce that I will be giving away SIX (6) boxes total of these Chex Mix Bars to three of my readers. So each of the three winners will receive TWO (2) lip smacking goodness boxes to enjoy in your home.

Here is my question to you and the fun part of the giveaway:
How do you indulge? What is your guilty pleasure?

Leave me a comment tell me your guilty pleasure, along with your email addy.

NO EMAIL ADDY, NO CHANCE TO WIN! NO SNACKS FOR YOU!

So please be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I have a way to tell you "Hey, you won! I get to send you some really awesome swag!"

Okay, the rules:

• Tell me "How do you indulge? What is your Guilty pleasure!?"

Now these are all extra credit: (Thank you Eileen for pointing out the error of my ways)

• Follow my blog, or tell me you already do
• Follow me on Twitter, or tell me you already do
• Tweet this giveaway, come back and tell me you did
• Subscribe to my blog, (I check so no cheats! Or tell me you already do)
  
• Grab my button
  
• Fave my blog on Technorati, or tell me you already have
• Stumble this blog, or tell me you already have (Many thanks to Leslie on the new found info about SU TOS....which we think is LAME!)
  
• Blog about this giveaway and tell me you did (Worth 5 entries, leave a comment for each)
• Become a Fan of The Fish on Facebook!

GOOD LUCK!!

~~~~~~CONTEST ENDS JULY 16TH @ MIDNIGHT AZ TIME~~~~~~~

NECCO SweetHearts: Red, White, and YOU!

In honor of the Fourth of July and the American and Foreign Military Troops serving abroad, NECCO, New England Confectionery Company, parent company of our favorite Sweethearts candy (normally seen at Valentine's) has created a new line to celebrate our wonderful country and the military men and women who serve to protect our country!

For the first time in 140 years NECCO expanded the traditional Valentine candy line and Valentine sentiments to include patriotic sentiments in honor of our troops and military families for their service. These sentiments have great lines like "Proud of U", "Home Safe", "Miss You." Sweethearts, is also sending these great candies in packages for our troops which is in partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO).

I for one was not a fan of Sweethearts (traditional Valentine) candy because of the flavors, but I can tell you that these new Red, White, and YOU flavors are fantastic and epitomize American summers and stereotypes. I was eating them like they were going out of style. Seriously, and I am not a candy fan. I would eat hard candy like Jolly Ranchers every now and again. The flavors are so yummy! The blue tastes like a rich blueberry pie, the red like a sweet and sticky cherry pie, and I haven't quite nailed the white, but man are they good!

Not only are they tasty little snacks, but they make great craft and recipe ideas. My favorite was the Red, White, and You Flag Cake! So yummy and perfect for the 4th of July BBQ!

Is that cake not scrumptious looking or not!? I would say so! Click on her to get a closer look at the easy peasy directions and make one of your own.

Remember to stay safe this Fourth of July and try to remember the reason why we celebrate this holiday past all the BBQ's, fireworks, and fun. Be sure to thank our troops, veterans, soldiers for their service to protect our freedoms!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Mrs. Fish's Thursday Tips and Tricks

Meal time is always the worst part of my day. Any meal. Any time of the day. HORRIBLE!

I have four people who have no idea what they want to eat, stand with the fridge door wide open saying "What do we have to eat" when the fridge is full, and no one can agree on the same thing.

So I have learned to set out a ton of meats, fish, and chicken during the week and basically whip up either favorites, new dishes, a little gourmet, or a little of "Not sure what this is....but it's freaking good!"

My tips and tricks are with food....I truly hate food. Food and meals are my demons. But here is how we fish survive in the tank when someone else isn't feeding us (aka takeout):

• Casseroles. You can't go wrong with any sort of casserole type dish. Lasagna, enchiladas, anything that you can make in a single dish and toss in the oven. Plus if it is simple to whip up, dinner and clean up are a breeze.
• Grill. I personally love to grill. The food has a flavor that cannot be replaced. Plus less energy usage. So when I grill I throw my whole meats on the grill FROZEN, this keeps them nice and juicy and you never (ok hardly ever) have to worry about burning or overcooking where the food is so nasty dry. You can grill anything and everything...give it a whirl! Grill lots of extras too! This way you have extras for the week for dinners, lunch, whatever.
  
• Menus. I love a menu, this way everyone in the family can participate in what foods they want to eat during the week and makes meal time a breeze. Especially because if dinner is not served at FIVE O'CLOCK SHARP at my house.....demons invade. Seriously its like that moment where Spike from the Gremlins movie takes over the house. YIKES!
  
• The Crock Pot can be your friend. I really hate the crock pot because it is ugly and takes up precious storage space. However, I have created many a meals, very tasty ones at that, in my ugly plug her in machine.
• Forget the rules. Who says you have to have breakfast at breakfast and dinner for dinner. We call it "Brinner." Who doesn't love a belgian waffle smothered in fresh fruit, a side of (turkey) bacon, and maybe some scrambled egg whites for dinner or breakfast! Go nuts!
  
• Avoid pre-packaged dinner meals. Like the ones where the rice and everything is in it you just add your own meat. HELLO CALORIES!! HELLO CHEESE TO MY ASS! Yeah I made that same "dinner" with brown rice, fresh cheese, frozen broccoli, and chicken. About 400 less calories than the box dinner and everyone wanted and had seconds! Super easy to do as well.
• Salads. Yes the dreaded greens! But the greens can be fun I have a great taco salad dish that my kids eat because they are involved in the process. Plus if you tell them they can smother it with ranch...they are total game, oh and it has Doritos (I know shame on me).
  
• Colors, lots of colors. I tried to have a lot of color in my food. Part of my OCD I think, but I hate when my food looks tan.....all of it. I love vibrant colors and flavors I am a true food whore about that because I have such odd tastes in food.

I would love to hear what your tricks are when making meals, keeping the family happy, trying not to serve the same old "slop" night in and night out, and what helps you save time? I also have lots of yummy recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert that are super easy peasy and totally fool proof! Quite a few are posted on the blog my sister's and I share and I hope to post some here real soon. Happy Thursday everyone....and stay tuned! I have some great reviews and fun giveaways!!

Wordful Wednesday

What do you do when your favorite friend comes to town?

Go out on the town?
Order in Chinese and drink wine?
Go to dinner and enjoy a few cocktails?

Me?

Well I despise my favorite friend.

She brings me hell. She makes my face break out like I am a teen all over again. She makes me moody beyond belief, I mean I cry at the worst things or I just want to tear your head off and eat you for a snack! But my most beloved part about when my favorite friend comes to town:

I LOVE EVERYTHING DEEP FAT FRIED AND SMOTHERED IN CHOCOLATE!!
I mean I might as well invite Paula Deen to come over and cater for me the whole week while I pig out on ice cream, my dark chocolates (which have antioxidant properties), Taco Bell, I mean you name every single nasty food known to man.....and I eat it when I am being visited by Aunt Flo. You would have thought my mother-in-law invaded by the way I emotionally and hormonally eat!!


HAVE A GREAT WEDNESDAY EVERYONE!!!
As always please visit Angie and sign Mr. Linky.

Healthy Snacking

I have been told to snack on stuff like Cottage Cheese (YUCK, GAG, PUKE) mmmm, and other light dairy products when snacking in between meals on my "diet". To be honest I love yogurt and I love fruit so here is what I go for:

Feeding the Animals

While I should save this for Wordful Wednesday I couldn't help but to share how entertaining the Squids have become. Recently they have felt very "big kid" and wanted to use their kid table as opposed to the high chairs. Feeding at the kids table is always a chore as it is so small (short), they can get up at any time, and they aren't always so good with their place settings......as in they all end up on the floor or upside down. But always makes for an entertaining meal that is for sure! So here they are eating....I know how exciting! Pickles Magoo was not having a good night, just a fuss budget, and Little Bity of course being the dominant little sister felt she needed to help her poor twin. Enjoy!!

Wordful Wednesday

I have to say that one of the most awesome joys of being a stay at home is to be able to watch; to just watch how your children grow, react, learn, and how they become his and her own person. I took this picture tonight actually, not for any reason other than I just love these two little people and cannot believe how I, Karie Herring, carried them for 36 weeks and 4 days and brought them into this world and how this world is now their world. They no longer wanted to eat in their high-chairs at the island, so it's now their world and their little dinner table to chow on some good eats. I love my Pickles Magoo and Little Bity with their mouths full of Macs-N-Cheese and strawberries.

Be sure to thank Angie over at Seven Clown Circus and share your wordful Wednesday.

For the ailing heart

My love recently moved back to Arizona and I have to say that I am so selfishly excited, exuberant, wetting myself in joy, bouncing happy to have my sister home again! I know she is happy to be around her family again, but I know her poor heart cries for the South. My sister should have been born in the deep South with the Confederate flag and all I swear!

For one, I named my sister. I named her after my best friend from Sunday school and her name was Brittany. So because I loved my best friend so much I thought what a fitting name for the person who was destined to be my best friend! So my sister was born and she has been a feather in the wind floating around to everyone and everywhere. From a very young age my sister would spastically wave to everyone.....and I mean everyone! I remember she would talk endlessly to the bakery staff at Bashas' market, partly because we got free cookies, but my sister was friendly to everyone. If we moved, she had friends that day. If we went on vacation, she had friends to come with, new ones she would meet along the way, and she was by NO means shy. My sister was dainty without tact. By that I mean she was very lady like in she would wear a sweet night gown and put her hair in curlers, but then proceed to do kart wheels in the front yard....WITH NO PANTIES!

Yes....my sister was born to be a Southern Belle.

So to ail her poor aching heart for her southern pleasures in the dismal desert we call Arizona I have found some "Southern Comforts" replacements or close seconds:

Apple Ice Cream - The best I could find, which is right down the road from her house is The Apple Dumpling Cafe and they serve everything under the sun apple...including her ice cream.

Crickets - We got crickets. And later this summer she will her the never ending chirp, hum, hoop, and purr of the Arizona locusts, or as we call them "secadas" (suh-kA-duhs).

After the Rain - In Arizona she will get to see rivers flowing....literally, so no more crying your own as the Almighty will provide you with flash flood rivers through the neighborhoods and dry river beds, quite a sight!

The Deer - In Arizona, we don't have the axis deer frolicking through the wood of the south, but we have PIG! Javelina will wander through your yard, maybe even a stray skunk, foraging for food. On a good day, maybe some coyotes, jackrabbits the size of a Bulldog, and your occasional Gila (thats HEE-LAH for you Yanks) Monster.

Wildflowers and blue bonnets - Those will be replaced by dandelions, sunflowers, Mesquite blossoms, tumbleweeds, Bouganvilla (BOO-gun-vee-yah), and the Fishhook Cactus blossoms.

Lightning bugs - We don't have the glowy butt bugs that I miss too from a childhood spent in the midwest, but we have some SPECTACULAR lightning to be seen and FELT here during the Monsoon. We also have grasshoppers and locusts that fly in droves in early June through August that look like a dust storm. Only here too can you see a dust devil as high as a house.

So while I know your heart yearns for the dirt road, where everyone knows your name, and the pace that is just barely faster than a snail........the desert and all her beauty are your South-Western home. And we are glad you are back and love to be able to spend so much time with you and your family.

Easy BBQ Potatoe Salad

The Herring's (Us) had a fantastic BBQ get together with the Greer 5 and the 'Rents on Sunday. I took my first stab at Potatoe Salad to which DH said I should have bought it. Only because he thinks I show off by cooking everything from scratch.....to which I do! So here is my super simple, super tasty, easy peasy Potatoe Salad:

10-12 medium Russett, Gold, or Red Potatoes (all depends on your taste buds)
1/2 c. Mayo
1/2 c. Miracle Whip (or Yogurt for a lowered fat alternative)
3 T. Yellow Mustard
1/3 c. Dijon, Horseradish
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 branches fresh Rosemary, or 1 T. Rosemary
2 green onion sticks
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut potatoes in half and boil in water for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to blanch (dump in ice water)the potatoes as they will continue to cook even after being removed from the boiling water.

2. While potatoes are boiling in a large bowl, mix mayo, Miracle Whip and Yellow Mustard. Begin to dice onions and celery.

3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from skin as best as possible, dice into bite size squares add to bowl with wet mix and begin to slowly churn. While churning, slowly add onions and celery.

4. Continue to stir and add Dijon horseradish while adding spices to taste.

5. Serve immediately or put in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 10, 136 calories per serving!

Cure for the Common Cold

While I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico (yes, New Mexico is a State, the 48th state to the Union I believe and in between Texas and Arizona.....you'd be surprised how many people do not know this), anyway off on a tangent there.

While living in Albuquerque I would thrive, drive for miles, beg, steal, cheat, scrap, slap, bum, cry, and whine for this sacred cure for the common cold. What could be so sacred? What could be the ultimate cure for the common cold?

GREEN CHILE STEW

Ah, yes, green chile stew is the end all, be all, hotter than hell, or milder than mild, open your airways and pump you full of vitamin C while being a tasty Southwestern alternative to chicken noodle. I for one and am not a fan favorite of the boring, old red canned version of chicken noodle. So I opt for the green chile stew. And now with the family down with the sickness, I reached into the depths of my pantry to find the oh so tasty ingredients to make my very own version of a New Mexican favorite. Mind you this is the lazy white lady version of a New Mexican favorite, so I will include the original ingredients in parentheses:


3 chicken breasts (1lb pork), diced or shredded

4 (4oz)cans green chile, hot or mild or both (6-8 large fresh, large roasted Hatch green chiles)

1 Large can of stewed tomatoes, or 1 10oz can of diced tomatoes

4 c. beef or chicken broth or 5 bouillon cubes, chicken or beef

3 garlic cloves

1/2 red onion

2 T. EVOO

3 T. Cumin

1 T oregano

1/2 bag, of cubed frozen hashbrowns

1/4 c. (about a handful) of cilantro

1 dutch oven or large kitchen pot


1. Grill and or brown the meat of your choosing, adding cilantro before completely browned. If browning meat instead of grilling, use dutch oven or kitchen pot to brown, remove meat after browing and cooking thoroughly making sure to keep pot warm.

2. Add EVOO, finely chopped garlic, and chopped onions, sautee, and brown onions until almost carmelized, then returning meat to the pot.

3. Cook for 3-5 minutes in sautee mix of garlic, onions, and EVOO.

4. Add 2 cans (or half the chopped roasted Hatch green chile), being sure to stir and reduce heat to medium, medium-low.

5. Add can of tomatoes, stirring slowly, and during this time add bouillon cubes and or slowly add stock and or broth 1/2 c. at a time, cover and stir slowly from time to time.

6. Add remaining cans of green chile (or remainder of chopped Hatch chiles), add cumin, oregano and stir thoroughly. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes.

7. Finally, add half bag of frozen, cubed hashbrowns, stir thoroughly, cook for another 3-5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm tortillas.




Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 272 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 137
Calories from Fat 23
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.6g 4%
Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 500mg 21%
Total Carbohydrates 13.0g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13%
Sugars 2.0g
Protein 15.0g

Vitamin A 7%
Vitamin C 27%
Calcium 7%
Iron 15%

Last Minute Valentines

For those of you who have procrastinated and are not sure what to give as a gift....I have a solution. My DH HATES and I mean HATES Valentine's but he plays into the whole holiday for me....even though I truly don't care for it. But I love the holiday only because he proposed on this day 9 years ago and not over dessert but in the desert! Yup, in the desert, in front of a jeep, at the base of the Sandia Mountains over looking the twinkling lights of the city. He did this just when I thought that the whole night was over and he was never going to propose. I was wrong.





THERE! I said it.....I was wrong. He will be so pleased. Anyway, off on a tangent, back to the gift idea. FOOD! Yes, food is the best gift when you can't afford to go out and spend a fortune and you can't spend a fortune to get a unique gift so here is the gift idea....ready for it.........

Chocolate covered fruit! Strawberries always come to mind, but hey, oranges are great, blueberries, bananas, just about any dang fruit out there is FABULOUS in chocolate! So here is you pantry list:

Fruit: Strawberries, bananas, anything listed above

Chocolate chips or Hershey Kisses

Toothpicks

Wax paper

Cookie sheet or 13X9 baking pan

1. Pour 6 ounces (3/4 cup) chocolate chips or kisses into a mirowave safe bowl and melt for 1 minute on HIGH. Stir, and reheat if consistency is still chunky.

2. While chocolate is melting, prick all your fruit with toothpicks. This makes dipping and placing a breeze and cleanup is a snap! Line sheet/pan with wax paper.

3. Start dipping fruit and place carefully on sheet/pan.

*If you want to get creative use a couple different chocolates like semi-sweet and white for fancy designs or different flavors like the picture posted below.

4. Place fruit into fridge for 2-4 hours for chilling and setup (overnight preferred) and VOILA! You have now created a loving gift of food for your Honey Bunny without breaking the bank and who doesn't just love chocolate on Valentine's and chocolate covered fruit to boot!

For more last minute foodie ideas that won't break your bank or require an extra trip to the store feel free to email me at karieherring@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to provide some fantastic recipe ideas. Also to see more of my recipes The Greer 5 have been posting some...but I need to start posting them here for all to enjoy! Bet you didn't have any idea I was a chef!