Week 2 With the Green Giant Challenge

September 30, 2013 By: Stephanie6 Comments

In case you missed last week’s post, I have teamed up with Green Giant and Dr. V from Bravo’s L.A. Shrinks in an effort to spread the word about eating healthy. Did you catch the Caught Green Handed videos yet?

This week I got my first feedback via email from Dr.V.

In case you can’t see the small print, it says…

Stephanie,

I see in your blog you mentioned you felt a little intimidated by me: The last thing I’d want is for you to feel intimidated. If anything, I feel a little intimidated by a lady who’s building a house, raising a family, making sure everybody eats healthy and HOW ARE YOU SO FUNCTIONAL AT 6 AM? You are a superhero. A superhero who maybe needs a little help planning meals, but a superhero nonetheless.

What I want you to do is this. Maybe if you can plan out your meals for the week ahead of time, it’ll help keep you from slipping back into the land of quick-fix, less-than-healthy meals. Perhaps even write it out before you go to the store, so when you’re loading up your cart you’ll know, “OK, we’ll get the Antioxidant Blend for Monday, Seasoned Steamers for Tuesday” and so on. That way when it’s time to eat, you’ll have your plan ready for action.

I have to know, do you have a nuclear powered core? You made this great video and wrote a thoughtful blog entry, and then the next day you posted a video of you laying a flagstone hearth. OK, it’s official. I’m intimidated.
Dr. V

She’s pretty sweet, huh? Back off she’s MINE. Get your own coach to stroke your ego.

That advice makes a lot of sense. I’m no stranger to meal planning, in fact, I’ve done entire posts about it. But, admittedly, I have gotten way off track with the planning while we’ve been riding this crazy train of house building. Time to get back on the meal planning horse. (Off the train and onto the horse? Or simultaneously ride the train and the horse? Is anyone still following these metaphors?)

This week while I was at the store I picked up several of our staple Green Giant favorites.

I also found these Healthy Weight options I’ve never noticed before. I’m planning on serving this one over brown rice with diced chicken breasts mixed in for dinner one night this week.

Since I’ve been paying attention to my “diet cheats” like it’s my job (because, literally, it IS my job right now), I’ve also noticed that when we indulge in convenience food I get a lot of extra calories from drinks, plus we spend a lot more money. I almost always get soda or tea if we are ordering out. That’s pretty stupid for a few reasons.

#1: It’s not healthy at all.

#2: Soda/tea/lemonade/milk at restaurants is expensive and water is free.

We were at a restaurant this week where the drinks were $2.56 cents each. Since there are 5 people in our family, that’s $12.80 just for drinks! I can easily cook two or three entire meals at home for that much money.

Each of those Green Giant options that are now in the freezer only cost $1.79 at our grocery store and the whole wheat pasta was $1.07. I’ve also put those veggies over rice or potatoes, which are both also very affordable. They make really easy meals in less than 15 minutes.

I can’t promise that we will eat every single meal at home (I already promised Nicholas we could go to Cracker Barrel for his Gotcha Day tomorrow), but we can definitely try a little harder!

Thanks for sponsoring this post, Green Giant, and giving us something to think about.

The Biggest Fall Reading Giveaway of All Time! {that I know of}

September 30, 2013 By: Stephanie4 Comments

Do you love reading? Enjoy free stuff? Like Money? I'm so excited to be partnering with a whole bunch of other bloggers and businesses to bring you this HUGE giveaway.

You are not going to believe this prize package.

Seriously.

Now that the kids are back in school, maybe you find yourself with a little extra free time for reading grown-up people books with grown-up people words in them. Maybe, as the autumn air gets chillier, you’re looking for an excuse to snuggle up inside under a blanket. Whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure: you need some great stuff to read. Thus, we bring you…

THE BIGGEST FALL READING GIVEAWAY EVER!

First off, we’ve collected practically an entirely new library for you – nine (9) (NINE!!!) new books to make you laugh, cry, and forget that you were supposed to turn on the crockpot because you’re just plain having too much fun.

You Have Lipstick On Your Teeth, the long-awaited first humor anthology from In The Powder Room, is the #1 Hot New Release on Amazon for good reason – it’s packed with 39 (mostly) true tales by women, for women, about being women—bodily changes, relationships, careers, motherhood, aging, illness, and more—written with the humor and grit that proudly sets In The Powder Room apart. The winner’s shiny new copy will be signed by none other than Lipstick co-author and editor, Leslie Marinelli of The Bearded Iris!

Do you have a copy of the hilarious best-selling collection of hilarious essays, I Just Want To Pee Alone, yet? Well, I bet you don’t have a copy signed by four of the co-authors – Amy Bozza of My Real Life signed one with Kim Bongiorno, Kim Forde and Anna Sandler, and she’s willing to part with it JUST FOR YOU! It covers every parenting topic from planning for your baby, to being driven insane by your children, to… wait, are there other parenting topics? Yes, don’t be silly, of course there are. I’m pretty sure.

From Abby Has Issues, you’ll get a signed paperback copy of Abby Still Has Issues, the 5-star rated second installment of award-winning humor writer Abby’s compiled blogging neurosis – everything from the drama of a cab ride with Aunt Mable to her quest to become a naked sushi model.

Carriage Before Marriage has two stories in the hilarious, irreverent anthology What Was I Thinking: 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories featuring essays from Carrie Fisher, Sex and The City producer Cindy Chupack and more. Romantic disasters spun into comedy gold for your entertainment!

Janie Emaus is offering up a autographed paperback copy of her smart and compelling young adult book, Mercury In Retro Love – a story about crushes, conflicts and astrological confusion.

Kim Bongiorno, of Let Me Start By Saying, has generously added an autographed paperback copy of her 5-star rated “Part of My World: Short Stories”, a book that allows the reader to escape into 21 unique, exhilarating worlds. To boot, she’s including a “How Being a Parent is Like Being a Rock Star” note card, based on her hilarious graphic that’s gone viral (blank inside, with envelope).

You’ll also win an autographed copy of Not Your Mother’s Book…on Being a Parent, co-authored by Stacey Hatton of Nurse Mommy Laughs. These new anthologies are edgy “poultry for the chakra” books and will have you laughing instead of crying.

Of course your library won’t be complete without a signed paperback copy of the best selling debut of humorist Paige Kellerman, At Least My Belly Hides My Cankles – a touching story of cankles, gestational diabetes, and one woman’s quest not to pee her own pants while carrying twins.

Still want more parenting laughs? Parenting Gag Reel – Hilarious Writes and Wrongs (from the popular Life Well Blogged series) is for moms and dads who’ve fought to get little ones down for a nap, worn their pajamas to drop off the kids at school or can name at least ten shades of poop. If that’s you, you’re in the right place for an afternoon of laughter, thanks to some very funny bloggers, including Snarkfest.

But wait – that’s not all! Because we love you and we know that just WANTING to read doesn’t always get you the time, setting, and accessories that make it possible, we’re also including all of this:

Because it’s hard to concentrate on reading while the kids are awake, we’ll set you up with the customizable kid’s photo clock of your choice from ZAZOO KiDS! In addition to allowing you to upload your own photos, video and music, it has pre-programmed image alarms to show a child visually when they can start the day or when it is time to rest. Brilliant! For maximum reading time, we recommend setting bedtime to 4 PM.

Because they might still need a little help staying in bed, there’s Duck Tape. Everyone can find a fun and creative use for Duck Tape, from crafty tweens to practical DIYers, to mamas who just want to read for a minute, for Pete’s sake. We’re giving away an awesome prize pack of Duck Tape in assorted colors and patterns.

Because sometimes Mama needs a little glass of something while she reads, you’ll get a monogrammed Vino-2-Go (Wine Sippy! Right? RIGHT? Awesome.) for those special times when you need to be the classiest bitch at a party, or when you’re just afraid you might spill some precious vino on your precious book.

Because you need to be comfortable while you read, we’re bringing you your choice of one throw pillow from Sewn, Inc. Sewn is a small design atelier in Brooklyn, NY, specializing in dressmaking, custom Halloween costumes for children, home decor accents, and quilted Christmas stockings.

Because you might be out and about while you’re reading (hey, it could happen), the winner will also get a $30 gift certificate to the Jennifer Ladd shop on Etsy, which is chock full of gorgeous handbags and change purses.

Because you’ll need something clean for your kids to wear if you hope to put off the laundry one more day, let us introduce you to Nostalgic Graphic Tees by Elizabeth Horton. Brushed for softness and screen printed using multiple layers of environmentally friendly ink, you’ll be happy when this becomes your child’s favorite shirt because it’ll stand up to life and washings and still look good enough to hand down to a little brother or sister. Winner gets to choose any tee from the Etsy site. That’s winner’s choice! You just have to pick from a size in stock.

Because you’ll need something cozy to “borrow” from your husband’s closet while you read (or because you’re the husband whose cozy stuff keeps getting “borrowed,” or because you just happen to like reading and comfort), Cool Dads is providing one of their tees. They work hard to make tees that their kids would dig, and that they would be proud to wear too. They feature a tailored fit, custom stitching, and high quality bamboo viscose material that makes their shirts softer than the softest cotton, keep you degrees cooler, and even repel sweat to keep you dry.

Because people are always trying to take the few things around the house that aren’t made by Fisher Price (like your new fantastic book collection) and claim them as their own, label them in style with Name Bubbles. These sturdy, water-resistant and dishwasher safe labels come in a variety of colors, sizes, and fonts so you can personalize them just the way you want. We’re giving away a School Labels Pack, an assortment of over 80 labels!

Because we know you’ll get interrupted while you’re trying to read, you’ll get a $40 gift card to Snappin Studio, where they make unique hand stamped metal keepsakes like beautiful copper bookmarks. What a stylish way to keep track of where you left off, until you’re finished getting the kids just one more glass of water at 10:30 PM! Shop for gorgeous hand stamped metal gifts such as personalized guitar picks, unique anniversary gifts, handmade wedding favors and more.

Also, because we know we’re all just barely holding it together ourselves, we’re including a canvas I Just Want To Pee Alone tote bag so YOU can hold all this stuff together – super rare and totes adorable, you’ll be able to carry all this incredible loot in style.

And finally, because we know we might have forgotten something (Who, US???), the lucky winner will also get a $175.00 Amazon gift card, to spend however he or she wants, although we strongly suggest using it to buy the giveaway hosts something pretty.

That’s almost $700 worth of fantastic prizes!

NOW FOR THE NITTY-GRITTY:

To qualify: You must have a deep, burning desire to own all or part of the stuff mentioned above, and live in the United States. (So sorry, non-United States friends – we love you big time, but we don’t understand your sweepstakes rules and don’t enjoy serving jail time. Also, POSTAGE. Gah. It’s, like, more than college tuition.)

Required: Do the little Rafflecopter thingy. Winner will be chosen at random and notified after the giveaway closes on Saturday, October 5. If there’s no response from the winner within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen and so on until I decide just to keep everything for myself. (I’m kidding, of course. OR AM I? Yes, I’m kidding.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 Pot, 3 Recipes. Make Your Apples Do Triple Duty!

September 27, 2013 By: Stephanie2 Comments

It’s a big week for apples here in Pennsylvania. Yesterday was Johnny Appleseed’s birthday and today Nicholas’ kindergarten class dressed in costume and put on a parade to celebrate.

At home we are celebrating in our own way by cooking with apples as much as we can while they are in season.

Apples are one of my most favorite things to cook with. They are healthy, they taste good, and they can be preserved really easily. What’s not to love?

What if I told you that you could chop up a few apples and use the very same ones to make spiced apples, homemade applesauce, and apple juice AND you can do it all in the same pot? That’s right. Only one pot to wash. You only have to chop the apples once. Then you can freeze what you make and have it on hand to feed your family for weeks. I’ll show you.

You just need a pot with a lid. My Le Creuset is my favorite, favorite, favorite pot of all time. (Pssst…I got mine from HomeGoods for less than half of the retail price.) I wish I had an extra one. I love it. For reals.

Ok, back to the task at hand.

First, buy some apples. See if your local orchard is selling “seconds.” These are the apples that may have a small bruise, fell to the ground, or are too ripe to sit on the store shelves and they are sold at steep discounts. Our orchard was selling a peck (8 quarts) for $6.50 or so yesterday when I was there. If we assume each quart weighs a pound, that is about $0.81/lb. The grocery store brand is $1.99/lb this week, so that is less than half price. Seconds are great for cooking and preserving.

Wash, peel, core and chop your apples. DO NOT THROW THE PEELS AND CORES AWAY.

Save the peels (but do discard any bruises or yucky spots) and the cores in a large bowl of water and set it aside.

Recipe 1: Cinnamon Apples

Add the chopped apples to the pot with a few tablespoons of liquid. You can use water, juice, cider, whatever you have. Add a few tablespoons of cinnamon. Turn the heat on medium high and cook them until they are tender, but still have a little bit of a bite to them, like the inside of an apple pie. Some people prefer to add a pinch of sugar as well. That’s really all there is to it.

Done.

Take half of the apples out of your pot at this point. You can serve these warm as a side dish or separate them into small batches in Ziploc bags and freeze them to use later in crisps, baked french toast, etc. My kids like these cinnamon apples tossed with raisins and granola for breakfast.

Recipe 2: Applesauce

To the apples that are still in your pot, add more liquid and continue cooking until your apples are very soft. You should be able to smash them easily with a fork. You can add sugar or lemon juice if you want, but those are optional. (If you want to can your applesauce you’ll need to find a recipe with exact measurements for the amount of lemon juice that you need. I don’t recommend this method for canning.)

Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to smash the apples to your desired consistency. We like to leave ours a little chunky.

Done.

There are very few things in the world that are more comforting than warm, homemade applesauce. And it makes your house smell soooo good!

That wasn’t so hard, right?

Ok, here comes the intimidating part. (Don’t worry, it’s still not that bad.)

Recipe 3: Homemade Apple Juice

First wipe the inside of your pot with a wet rag or a few paper towels. It will be a little messy and sticky from the applesauce.

Rinse the apple peels that have been sitting the bowl of water, to get rid of any dirt or residue that was on the peels, and add fresh water to the bowl. Let the water sit a while longer to soak the peels, then add it to the pot.

* I imagine that you could probably also do this in a Crock-pot set to low overnight, but I have never tried it.