Thanks to everyone who commented and entered my giveaway! The winner is…
Congratulations, Christina! I’ll send you a note to find out where to send your goodies!
Month: September 2013
{CLOSED} 13th Blogiversary Giveaway
Thirteen years ago I was sitting in my cubicle in a Norwalk, CT office. (Next to the Chick in the Kitchen, actually!) I’d just grabbed a coffee on the way in to work and decided that this was the day I was going to purchase a domain. It was a big deal back in those days! I had an online journal, but was curious about this thing called “Blogger” and wanted my own space on the web.
I tossed a few ideas around in my head and then I looked down on my desk and saw something that resembled this:
And that was the beginning of a crazy journey through this world of blogging. I started out using Blogger, moved over to pMachine (which is still my favorite blogging platform of all the applications I’ve used), and made my way to WordPress somewhere around 2006. I’ve “met” more creative, wonderful people than I can count. Many of these online friendships developed into honest-to-God real friendships and I can’t imagine my life without them.
My blog has seen me through my wedding, the birth of three children, the purchase of our current home, the purchase and sale of a wine shop, taking up scrapbooking (oh, remember the recipe swaps?) and eventually giving it up because there just wasn’t the time anymore, learning to knit, learning to sew, learning to crochet, and many other crafty pursuits. I’ve blogged about sleepless nights, my kids’ milestones, what I’m making for dinner, what I wish I was making for dinner, and many boring stories about “a day in the life.”
I “quit” once. Went on hiatus several times. Changed the name once. (Anyone remember “Parapluie”?) Went private for a while. Deleted and started with a clean slate a few times (but oh, to have all those archives… if I’d only known).
Somehow I can’t imagine not having a blog, especially after all this time. It’s nuts, I know. And I’ll bet that the people I know in real life who know about this blog probably think it’s totally weird. But that’s OK! The people who know me in real life already know that I’m weird in general 😉
Anyway, it’s hard to imagine that if my blog was a person, she’d have her period and be thinking about boys in between writing bad poetry and painting her toenails. Especially since I wasn’t sure I’d even make it through the year when I first hit that “submit” button.
To celebrate this occasion, I’m hosting a giveaway right here, right now!
Rules:
- Open to U.S. residents 18 and over only.
- Giveaway will close at 3 PM Eastern Time on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013.
- Winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted on the blog by 5 PM the same day. To enter, just leave a comment on this post (the link is at the top, right under the title) — simple as that!
Please make sure that you use a valid e-mail address when filling out the comment form. If I can’t get in touch with you, I can’t send you the goodies! So. I bet you want to know what I’ve put together, right? Well, it’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I chose items that sort of encompass bits of my personality. Kinda like Oprah’s Favorite Things. Only I’m not Oprah and… well, this is on a much smaller scale 😉 Anyway, on to the giveaway!
- 25 yards (total) of baker’s twine — 5 yards each of red, blue, yellow, green, pink
- 6 yards (total) of fold-over elastic — 3 yards each of red and turquoise (this stuff is great for making hair ties!)
- 3 spools of washi tape
- 1 set of embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching (“Gothic Grandeur” — since Halloween is around the corner I thought this was perfect)
- 1 vintage crochet pattern booklet
- 2 crocheted dishcloths (made by me!)
- a few fun paperclips
- a sampling of my favorite tea (Harney’s Hot Cinnamon Spice)
- a small box of chocolate truffles
Good luck and thanks so much for reading!
{Recipe} Turkey Divan Casserole
With the kids all in school, we are back to a crazy schedule that includes a bunch of activities. We have Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, CCD, afterschool electives… and that’s just for beginners. Add in my part-time job at the library, trying to keep up with my blog, and family commitments and you have a full calendar! But a full schedule is no excuse for not cooking. You just need to plan ahead!
Here are my top 5 ways to save time in the kitchen on weekdays.
- Menu plan. I make a home-cooked meal for my family six nights a week, and being organized is key. I’ve been menu planning since our pre-kid days. I look at what I have in my pantry and freezer, check my grocery store’s sale flyer, and go from there.
- Be your own sous chef. Prep as much as you can ahead of time. Have an open burner on the stove? Fill a pot with water and cook rice, pasta, or quinoa for the week. Roast a pan of vegetables or boil them so you can reheat or quickly add them to dishes. Earlier this year I read An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler, and this simple tip stuck with me and has made a huge difference in the way I cook.
- Cook once, eat twice. Making a meatloaf? Buy enough ingredients to make two and freeze one. I also always try to keep the following pre-cooked items in my freezer: taco meat, browned ground beef, and shredded chicken. Within 20 minutes I can pull together a quick pot of soup or chili.
- Save the culinary experiments. We all love trying out new recipes, but save the multi-step gourmet dishes for weekends or days when you have extra time.
- Keep a file of quick-fix family favorites. Whether it’s juicy burgers, a fresh pasta dish, or a comforting casserole, it’s a relief knowing that you can throw together a home-cooked meal that everyone will love.
Turkey Divan Casserole is something I’ve been making for over 10 years. I occasionally change up the recipe depending upon what I have in my fridge (oh, that could be #6 – Be flexible). Don’t have rice? Use stuffing or egg noodles. Don’t have turkey? Use chicken. That’s the beauty of a casserole. It lends itself to whatever’s leftover. Country Crock Original Spread is delicious in this recipe. It contains 0 g trans fat per serving, no partially hydrogenated oils, and no cholesterol. Additionaly, it has 70% less fat than butter and 30% fewer calories than butter per serving.
Turkey Divan Casserole
2013-09-16 18:15:22
Transform boring leftovers into delicious comfort food with this #QuickFixCasserole.
Ingredients
- 2 c. cooked rice
- 3 c. cooked, diced turkey
- 2 c. broccoli (leftover or blanched)
- 3 Tbsp. Country Crock Original Spread
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 c. half & half
- 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For topping
- 1 Tbsp. Country Crock
- 2 Tbsp. breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 2-quart casserole dish, layer the cooked rice, the turkey, and the broccoli.
- Melt 3 Tbsp. of Country Crock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, poultry seasoning, and nutmeg. Slowly add the half & half, whisking continuously. Continue to stir until no lumps remain. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over top of casserole.
- Melt 1 Tbsp. of Country Crock and stir in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over top of dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with a crisp salad.
Notes
- This recipe can be prepped ahead of time. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
Pure Sugar http://www.puresugar.net/
You know it’s good when the kids just about clean the dish! (And yes, I did finish off the last few bites.) For more #QuickFixCasseroles, be sure to check out Country Crock on Pinterest. (And try not to drool all over your keyboard!)
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Oh, Hey September!
Well just like that a couple weeks go by and you forget all about blogging! Actually, it’s been on my “to do” list for several days now, but I just have been too busy to get to it. I know I keep saying that I’m really going to pay more attention to my blog, but with the back-to-school schedule ironed out and things moving along nicely, I really mean it!
In the meantime, how about a laundry list of what’s new?
- The boys started school last week. Noah is in 3rd grade, which is a big deal because it means he’s now upstairs and has a locker! Jake started middle school which is a big deal for obvious reasons. It’s a total change, but he loves it. Our morning routine is also very different now, as our district has staggered start times, so I have three kids, three different schools, three different times!
- That’s right — I said three! Laura started preschool this week and judging on the first two days, she loves it 🙂 It’s just a few days a week for a few hours, but it’s just enough. And honestly, the extra time will really be great for me! It’s been 11 years since I’ve had kid-free time that I can count on!
- During some of that kid-free time this week I got a haircut. I got four inches chopped off, but man it’s still long! I also got a little bit of swoopy bangs. That might have been a bad idea. We’ll see.
- I got my new Erin Condren planner for next year. Love, love, love the paisley!
- I’ve done a bit of canning — just some apple butter and some salsa, but considering I didn’t do anything all summer it’s been fun hearing those “pings” as the jars seal! I’m trying to plan ahead for Christmas gifts. That is, assuming I can keep the goodies from getting eaten.
- Otherwise, I’ve just been cleaning and reorganizing and doing all that day-to-day stuff. I haven’t picked up my crochet hook in over a month. I’m hoping to get back to my blanket next week, though.
Hope your September is off to a great start!