Free 7 Day Pass at 24 Hour Fitness

Just follow this link and you will get 7 days free to any local 24 Hour Fitness, including group classes.
Let's start 2012 off right!  See you at the gym!

Why not Dress for Less?

If you know me at all, you know I love ROSS.  They should really start paying me because I am constantly sending everyone their way.  Why would you pay full price when you can get great buys on designer clothes and accessories?  Here are some of the amazing deals that I have found recently at ROSS.

Kenneth Cole Coat, retails for $190, at ROSS for $55.99

Gorgeous purple lining

Design History, original price: approx. $100+,  purchased for $14.99

Nike Sports Bra, Original price $30, purchased for $9.99

Just in case you need a holiday sweater, only $5.99, heeheee

 I buy ALL of my athletic wear at ROSS.  They always have quality brands that I trust, including:  Nike, Adidas, and Asics for 1/3 of the price, and sometimes less.
On this shopping trip I also bought two photo frames to give as X-mas gifts for $3.99 and the red Infinity Scarf pictured in my "Free Glasses" post.  The scarf is made by Fossil and was originally $30, I bought it for $9.99.  

Happy Shopping!

MMMMMM.......Burger and Fries for Five

Mondays are all right with me, now that The Vig is serving up amazing burgers and fries for $5 from 4-10PM.
Seriously?!?!?  Where can you get a gourmet burger WITH FRIES for $5.  Not only is it well priced, it is delicious!  Outstanding!  So darn yummy!  I love the Vigazz Burger which has peppered bacon and smoked Gouda on it.  Wash it down with a cold Hoegaarden White Ale.....heaven.                                            Don't let Mondays get you down, just eat your way right through it.

Family Date Night

It may not be your typical "dinner and a movie" date that some couples do but this is how we roll.  With 4 year old in tow, we like to go over to our neighborhood frozen yogurt joint, Zoyo, on Wednesday nights.  If you wear your pajamas to Zoyo on hump day, after 5PM you get half off your yogurt.  So Awesome!!!  Who doesn't want to eat their dessert in their PJ's, right?!  Well, last Wed. we turned our date night up a notch and ate our half priced yogurt in the car as we drove around looking at Christmas lights and listening to 99.9's continuous Christmas music.  It was great!  I think we may do it again tomorrow night.  Hope to see you there.
PS.  AZ Central has a Holiday Lights Map on their website so you know where all the good neighborhoods are located.

Free Glasses!

No way, you say!  Yes way!  I got a free pair of prescription glasses delivered to my front door through Coastal Contacts, where "first impressions are everything."  They want to give you your first pair free so you will never forget them and so you will spread the word.  Well, I am preaching the word, FREE!
All you have to do is follow the link: 
Pick your frames (stay away from the ones that say "coupons not applicable")
Enter your perscription
Use code FIRSTPAIRFREE at checkout
I added the Coatings Value Bundle for an extra $15 which includes a scratch protection coating, a UV ray protection coating, and an anti-glare coating.  Add on an extra $10 for shipping.  All in all, a pair of Jill Stuart, designer glasses for $25. SAH-WEET!

Leopard print on the insides of the frame, MEOW!

My new glasses arrived in the mail one week after I placed my order.  Included with the glasses: a hard carrying case, a soft carrying case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a tightening tool on a keychain.

Something to keep in mind when ordering glasses on-line:
Know what shape works for your face.  Think about the frames you have had in the past and what shape worked best.  I love a rectangle frame.

Finger Lickin' Good

I made the most delicious baked chicken the other night with a side of mashed potatoes / celery root and sauteed spinach and mushrooms.  MMMMMMMMMM!!!    So good that I forgot to take a picture before I had invaded my plate, hence the missing bite of chicken.
This chicken was made in the style of fried chicken, minus the frying, courtesy of the Neelys from The Food Network.  It was soaked in buttermilk and seasonings for 5 hours before being dipped into a yummy cornflake coating and then baked for 45 minutes.  The chicken turned out nice and crunchy on the outside and super moist on the inside and full of flavor.  A few tiny tweaks:  I added a tbsp. of Dijon mustard to the buttermilk marinade.  I didn't have fresh thyme so I used dried.   I also would suggest taking the chicken breast out 5-7 minutes earlier than the rest of the chicken.  They need less cooking time and tend to get dry if left with the rest.
The mash was simple.  I just peeled and boiled a celery root bulb and two russet potatoes.  Mashed them together with a bit of milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste.  The mushroom and spinach combo was equally simple.  I sauteed the mushrooms first with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper then added the spinach in for two minutes, until wilted.
Comfort food at it's finest.

Origins Face

You MUST get on the Origins mailing list!!!  They send you amazing coupons that make this skin care splurge feel a little less naughty.  Every year they send a $10 off coupon for my birthday and a few weeks ago I received a lovely holiday card, including a $25 off coupon.  When I get my coupon in the mail I feel like it's a real gift, a special treat.  Yay me!
Origins Natural Skin Care is "powered by nature and proven by science."  I love their Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash for daily cleansing and their Night-A-Mins Moisturizer for bedtime.  They both feel and smell great on my face.

She's Crafty

Crafty?  Well, not really.  I just pretend to be crafty by copying craft ideas that I see online or in magazines.  I saw this craft online and thought it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon with my little lady.  We went to Michaels with our 50% off coupon, found on their website.  I spent about $15 to get all the supplies we needed.
We had a great time putting it all together and now we have a hand made gift to give to family and friends.

Supplies:
Craft sticks
White Tempera Paint
Black and Orange Foam
Red felt
Buttons
Ribbon
Black permanent marker
Glue (we used glitter glue and Tacky glue)

Light Lunch

I love sandwiches!  It can be as simple or as fancy as you want it to be.  It's flavors can be elevated simply by your choice of cheese or condiments.  You can take this meager meal in so many directions.  But one thing that can make or break this lunch time staple is the bread.  The sandwich toppings can sing in your mouth or crash and burn depending on the bread.  There are so many choices of bread and I would love to always have fresh bread straight out of the oven but I don't always have the option of going out to get a freshly baked artisan loaf so I keep a standard loaf of whole wheat in the cupboard.  This can get pretty boring day after day so I was searching for an alternative.  Inspiration came to me in Holland as I watched my sister in law prepare her lunch of Wasa Crispbread and cheese.  What a lovely way to let your toppings shine!!
 

 
Luckily I was able to find these yummy crackers at Safeway.  I love the flavor and the texture.  It really lets the flavors or your "sandwich" toppings come through.
Spread veggie cream cheese on the crispbread
add avocado slices
then spinach
then turkey
Voila!
Simple, Fast, and Delicious

Pumpkin Chili

I waited...and waited...and waited but it just didn't happen so I had to move forward.  The weather has not really cooled down enough to be considered "chili weather" but this recipe could not wait any longer.  I make this every year when it cools down and then I miss it for those 8 months when it is just too darn hot to even utter the word "chili" so I broke down and made it anyway, on this 73 degree day.  It was delicious!  Thanks to my girl, Julie Brenton, for sharing this one with me many years ago.  Love, love, love it!!! 

It is so great to put this all in the crockpot and have an amazing meal ready for you at the end of the day.

Pumpkin Chili

Serves approx. 6-8 adults
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1(16 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz.) can ranch style beans
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juices
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
1 med. onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Cook turkey, onion, and bell pepper in a skillet over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic in for the last minute.  Transfer the turkey mix into the crockpot with a slotted spoon, leaving most of the liquid in the skillet.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot, step back and let the magic happen.  I let this go for about 4 hours on low.  This may vary depending on your crockpot.  Mine is super hot and powerful.  When a recipe calls for the high setting, I do the amount of time recommend on my low setting instead and get great results. 
Top with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives. 
Enjoy!!!

Last Chance

Last Chance, Nordstrom's final-clearance store, you either love it or you hate it.  There is no in-between.  I happen to love it because I have found some amazing treasures that make the crowded racks and screaming kids worth it. 
Here are some do's and don'ts for a visit to Last Chance.

DON'T
Don't go when you are in desperate need of a specific item.  Ex. Don't go to LC on Friday looking for a dress to wear to your cousin's wedding on Saturday night.  This is too much pressure for all parties, you and the store.
Don't bring your kids or any other person who is not willing to go with the flow.  There should be no whining, just shopping.
Don't worry about the line.  It goes super quick.
DO
Do go when you have time for browsing through the racks with no specific clothing goals.  This way you are not disappointed but totally elated when you find an amazing deal.
Do use the open area in the fitting room.  This way you don't have to wait so long for a private room and nobody cares if you strip down to your unders.  They are all thinking about their own amazing finds.
Do make sure to check the clothing carefully before you fall in love with it.  You may occasionally find flaws in the clothing that are not able to be repaired.
Do Have Fun!!!

Vintage by linea pelle belt, retails for approx. $140, purchased for $9.97

Joie Blouse retails for $208, purchased for $5.97

Double Zero blouse retails for approx. $40, purchased for $5.97

 

                                                                     

Black DKNY bra retails for $34, purchased for $3.97 - Nude Elle Macpherson retails for $55, purchased for $3.97

Worth the Work

Thank you, Rachel Ray, for pushing me outside my comfort zone.  I had never roasted poblano peppers and had never used tomatillos until I made this recipe .  Man o' man, was I missing out!  Two amazing ingredients that took this dish to a new flavor dimension.  Scrumptious!!!  Give yourself a little extra time, though.  I did feel that this recipe was a bit labor intensive but totally worth it. 

Stuffed!

It is rare to make a meal that all members of my fussy family will eat so I am pleased to announce that this dish was very well received by all, including 4 year old Miss E.  I was able to make the stuffing earlier in the afternoon and have it all assembled for hubby to put in the oven just before I got home from my tutoring gig.

Serves 4
3 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. Turkey Italian sausage
1 zucchini, diced small
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
4 large bell peppers (any color) halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
salt and pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and cook, until browned, 5 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a medium bowl.  Add 1 tsp. oil to skillet along with zucchini, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. 
2.  Add zucchini mixture to bowl with sausage, along with Parmesan, rice, and 1 tsp. oil; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.  Lay tin foil down on a rimmed baking sheet.  Divide rice mixture among peppers and top with breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned and the peppers are tender. 
3.  Enjoy!

Magazine Mania

When I think of the beach I think of total relaxation.  Just lounging on a reclined chair or towel.  Soaking up the sun and an occasional walk to the water to cool off.  One thing that I think is a "beach relaxation" must is a great magazine (or 6 great magazines).  Well at $4-5 a pop, that can add up.  So before heading off to Carlsbad with my family last week I made a quick stop at Bookmans.  They sell used books, music, video games and you guessed it, magazines!  I got 6 mags for $9!  Not too shabby.  Make a friend's day and pass the mags along when you are done.  Reduce, reuse, recycle...right?!?!