vQh

{Healthy Snack Ideas}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:27:00 +0000

This isn't my list, I stole from somewhere on the net...

Healthy Snack Ideas
1. Frozen Grapes
2. String Cheese
3. Banana
4. Frozen Banana 5. Low-fat Yogurt
6. Sugar-free or fat-free pudding
7. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter
8. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
9. Applesauce
10. Raw veggies with hummus
11. Almonds
12. Apple
13. Skinny S'more (two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate)
14. Smoked Beef Jerky (about 1 oz- low-sodium!)
15. Chocolate Milk
16. Hard Boiled Egg
17. Sunflower Seeds
18. Cottage Cheese
19. Sliced Cantelope
20. Raisins
21. Pita Bread and Hummus
22. Rice Cakes
23. Sugar-free Jello
24. Dried Fruits
25. Frozen Yoplait Whips Yogurt
26. Air-Popped Popcorn
27. Pistachios
28. Clementines
29. Fruit Smoothie
30. Handful of olives
31. Pickles
32. Handful of blueberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free Cool-Whip
33. Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
34. 1 cup mixed berry salad
35. Peanut Butter and Bananas on whole wheat bread
36. Trail Mix
37. Orange Slices
38. Cherry Tomatoes
39. Graham Crackers
40. Small Green Salad with light dressing
41. Mango smoothie (frozen mango, mango Greek Yogurt, and a small amount of orange juice)
42. Kabobs (thread low-fat meat, low-fat cheese, pineapple and cherry tomatoes onto a stick)
43. Cinnamon-Raisin bread with peanut butter and banana slices
44. Grilled Pineapple (throw them on the grill or a skillet on med. heat for two minutes or until golden)
45. Baked Apples (apple, cored, filled with 1 t brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
46. Animal Crackers
47. Strawberries dipped in fat-free Cool Whip
48. Low-fat tortilla topped with egg salad, shredded carrots and cucumber slices
49. Parfait (build your own with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, fruit, and granola)
50. Bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk and berries
51. Guacamole with veggies
52. Triscuit's Thin Crisps dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
53. Cashews
54. Pretzels
55. Sun Chips

56. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: 2 roasted plum tomatoes sliced & topped with 2 t breadcrumbs & parm
57. Sugar Snap Peas
58. Steamed Veggies (steam non-starchy vegetables in a micro & sprinkle with 1 t parm or pasta sauce)
59. Apricots
60. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
61. Any 100 calorie pack
62. Snack/Granola bar
63. Baked chips (about 7-10) with salsa
64. Soy Chips
65. Protein Bar
66. Sweet Potato Fries (sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 t olive oil, & baked at 400° for 10 minutes)
67. Wrap (turkey, swiss cheese, baby spinach leaves, and cranberry relish wrapped up in a tortilla)
68. Pumpkin Seeds (2 T pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil & baked at for 400° for 15 min, Sprinkle w/ salt)
69. Bean Salad
70. Broccoli Florets
71. Peaches and Cottage Cheese
72. Chopped Red Peppers (dipped in fat free ranch)
73. V8 Vegetable Juice
74. Tuna with Triscuit crackers
75. Cooked and Cubed Chicken Breast
76. Homemade Popsicles (puree watermelon, strawberries, mango, banana, etc & freeze in popsicle molds)
77. Dates with almond butter or rolled in coconut
78. Quesadilla (whole wheat (or corn) tortillas w/cheese (or not) melted in microwave - adding on tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, avocado or guacamole or whatever sounds good)
79. Watermelon
80. Cubed Apples and Cubed Cheese (this was my husband's favorite after-school snack when he was little)
81. Craisins (I love to eat these with almonds- it's a good combo)
82. Goldfish Crackers
83. Edamame
84. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus (spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) & topped with 2 T parm, baked for 10 min at 400°)
85. Turkey Roll-Ups (Turkey rolled, dipped in 2 t honey mustard)
86. Strawberry Salad (1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic)
87. Oatmeal
88. Banana Smoothie (½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and ice blended until smooth)
89. Lime Sherbet (1/2 cup serving) with sliced kiwi
90. Apple Chips (dehydrated apples- they are so good!)
91. Black Beans (mix 1/4 cup black beans with 1 T salsa and 1 T Greek yogurt)
92. Lettuce wrap (Ham with 2 t honey mustard rolled in lettuce leaf)
93. Pecans (try five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
94. Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dip 5 strawberries in 2 squares of dark chocolate)
95. Honeyed Yogurt (½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey)
96. Blackberries (so good mixed with plain yogurt)
97. Frozen Mangos
98. Tropical Juice Smoothie (¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice)

{Date Night}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:01:00 +0000

I recently stumpled on The Dating Divas & spent more time on this page than I care to admit! I'm a firm believer in dating your spouse! This site gives so many wonderful ideas for dates: cheap dates, couple dates and dates at home! Here's a list of my favorites:

Scavenger hunt
The Date Wheel
Jungle safari

I took their button & put it in the side of my blog; check out the The Dating Divas!

A couple other date night ideas from my Pinterest board.....

{How Whole Foods "Primes" You to Shop}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:51:00 +0000

Here's a interesting article I found from Fast Company:

Have you ever been primed? I mean has anyone ever deliberately influenced your subconscious mind and altered your perception of reality without your knowing it? Whole Foods Market, and others, are doing it to you right now.

Derren Brown, a British illusionist famous for his mind-reading act, set out to prove just how susceptible we are to the many thousands of signals we're exposed to each day. He approached two creatives from the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi for the "test." On their journey to his office, Brown arranged for carefully placed clues to appear surreptitiously on posters and balloons, in shop windows, and on t-shirts worn by passing pedestrians.

Upon their arrival, the two creatives were given 20 minutes to come up with a campaign for a fictional taxidermy store. Derren Brown also left them a sealed envelope that was only to be opened once they'd presented their campaign. Twenty minutes later, they presented and then opened the envelope. Lo and behold, Derren Brown's plans for the taxidermy store were remarkably similar to the ad campaign, with an astounding 95% overlap.

An interesting experiment, you may say, but hardly a trick you'd fall for. But bear this in mind — it's more than likely you were well primed the last time you went shopping.

Let's take for example Whole Foods, a market chain priding itself on selling the highest quality, freshest, and most environmentally sound produce. No one could argue that their selection of organic food and take-away meals are whole, hearty, and totally delicious. But how much thought have you given to how they're actually presenting their wares? Have you considered the carefully planning that's goes into every detail that meets the eye?
In my new book "Brandwashed," I explore the many strategies retailers use to encourage us to spend more than we need to — more than we intend to. Without a shadow of doubt, Whole Foods (Nasdaq: WFM - News) leads the pack in consumer priming.

Let's pay a visit to Whole Foods' splendid Columbus Circle store in New York City. As you descend the escalator you enter the realm of a freshly cut flowers. These are what advertisers call "symbolics" — unconscious suggestions. In this case, letting us know that what's before us is bursting with freshness.

Flowers, as everyone knows, are among the freshest, most perishable objects on earth. Which is why fresh flowers are placed right up front — to "prime" us to think of freshness the moment we enter the store. Consider the opposite — what if we entered the store and were greeted with stacks of canned tuna and plastic flowers? Having been primed at the outset, we continue to carry that association, albeit subconsciously, with us as we shop.

The prices for the flowers, as for all the fresh fruits and vegetables, are scrawled in chalk on fragments of black slate — a tradition of outdoor European marketplaces. It's as if the farmer pulled up in front of Whole Foods just this morning, unloaded his produce, then hopped back in his flatbed truck to drive back upstate to his country farm. The dashed-off scrawl also suggests the price changes daily, just as it might at a roadside farm stand or local market. But in fact, most of the produce was flown in days ago, its price set at the Whole Foods corporate headquarters in Texas. Not only do the prices stay fixed, but what might look like chalk on the board is actually indelible; the signs have been mass-produced in a factory.

Ever notice that there's ice everywhere in this store? Why? Does hummus really need to be kept so cold? What about cucumber-and-yogurt dip? No and no. This ice is another symbolic. Similarly, for years now supermarkets have been sprinkling select vegetables with regular drops of water — a trend that began in Denmark. Why? Like ice displays, those sprinkled drops serve as a symbolic, albeit a bogus one, of freshness and purity. Ironically, that same dewy mist makes the vegetables rot more quickly than they would otherwise. So much for perception versus reality.

Speaking of fruit, you may think a banana is just a banana, but it's not. Dole and other banana growers have turned the creation of a banana into a science, in part to manipulate perceptions of freshness. In fact, they've issued a banana guide to greengrocers, illustrating the various color stages a banana can attain during its life cycle. Each color represents the sales potential for the banana in question. For example, sales records show that bananas with Pantone color 13-0858 (otherwise known as Vibrant Yellow) are less likely to sell than bananas with Pantone color 12-0752 (also called Buttercup), which is one grade warmer, visually, and seems to imply a riper, fresher fruit. Companies like Dole have analyzed the sales effects of all varieties of color and, as a result, plant their crops under conditions most ideal to creating the right 'color.' And as for apples? Believe it or not, my research found that while it may look fresh, the average apple you see in the supermarket is actually 14 months old.

Then there's those cardboard boxes with anywhere from eight to ten fresh cantaloupes packed inside each one. These boxes could have been unpacked easily by any one of Whole Foods' employees, but they're left that way on purpose. Why? For that rustic, aw-shucks touch. In other words, it's a symbolic to reinforce the idea of old-time simplicity. But wait, something about these boxes looks off. Upon close inspection, this stack of crates looks like one giant cardboard box. It can't be, can it? It is. In fact, it's one humongous cardboard box with fissures cut carefully down the side that faces consumers (most likely by some industrial machinery at a factory in China) to make it appear as though this one giant cardboard box is made up of multiple stacked boxes. It's ingenious in its ability to evoke the image of Grapes of Wrath-era laborers piling box after box of fresh fruit into the store.

So the next time you happen to grab your wallet to go shopping, don't be fooled: retailers for better or for worse, are the masters of seduction and priming — brandwashing us to believe in perception rather than reality.

Martin Lindstrom is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine's "World's 100 Most Influential People" and author of "Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy" (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller. His latest book, "Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy," will be released in September.

{The Beauty Department}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:00:00 +0000

I am a closet Lauren Conrad fan. There. I said it. Here is a new website I adore.

The Beauty Department

{Marketing Monday: Marketing and Editing Checklist}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:40:00 +0000

I'm starting a new feature on my blog Marketing Monday! I'm a marketing major and I keep up on marketing stuff via blogs and other websites. In other words, I'm a marketing nerd!

I hope you enjoy!

Marketing and Editing Checklist

1. Headline: Does it grab attention? Is it followed up and substantiated?

2. Copy: Does it deliver substance?

3. Grammar: Does it conform to real or set styles and rules?

4. Is it spell-checked and proofread?

5. Message: Does it make sense? Does it flow?

6. Got the facts?

◦ Did you use reliable, relevant facts and figures?

◦ Are they substantiated? Cited with a source?

7. Whom are you talking to?

◦ Can you picture the one person you are targeting?

◦ Do your tone, style, technique meet that person’s needs?

8. Do your sentences end in strong words?

9. Is the language simple and clear?

10. Is it readable?

11. Does it look good?

Is there a good mix of short and long sentences? Short and long paragraphs?

◦◦ Is there plenty of white space?

◦ Is the type large enough?

◦ Will your audience want to read it?

◦ Are the visuals complementary?

12. Call to action:

◦ Is it clear?

◦ Is it specific?

◦ Is it right for your audience (something they will do?)

Is it portable? Can the copy be transferred to another medium successfully?

13. Is it search-engine-optimized (if requested)?

{Cheap, Free and BOGO}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:56:00 +0000

My birthday is in a couple weeks and the Cheap, Free and BOGO deals are starting to roll into my email box... Several people ask me.. what places give you free stuff for your birthday? Welp, here's the list! I'll update it as I get them!

I've also added a couple lists from other blogs for you to check out also!

In my inbox
American Eagle- 20% off
Victoria Secret - $10 (snail mail)
Papa Murphy's - Free cookie dough with purchase
Qdoba- BOGO
Red Robin - Free birthday burger
Buffalo Wild Wings - Free dessert
DSW- $5 coupon
Benihana - $30 gift certificate
Chili's - Free dessert
Noodles Company – free meal

(Using my B-day $30 @ Benihana!)

From the web (not all confirmed by vQh)
Applebees- Free dessert and song.
Arby’s – Sign up and receive coupons for free food on your birthday, plus coupons year round.
Baskin Robbins - Get a free ice cream treat if you sign up for their Birthday Club.
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream – Become a Chunk Spelunker and receive free ice cream!
Boston Market – Free kids B-Day meal coupon for kids under 12 and coupons online for their various entrees. ~ the page is under construction currently…
Buffalo Wild Wings – free dessert with a $5 purchase, join the Buffalo Circle.
Coldstone Creamery – Free ice cream.
Joe’s Crab Shack – free appetizer with purchase of 2 entree’s, join Joemail.
Lone Star Steakhouse - join the Eclub for a $15 gift card, you will also notice a Kids Eat free deal when you sign up.
Macaroni Grill – Free dessert plus a song. If you join the Mac Pack you receive a free appetizer for your next visit.
Maggiano’s Little Italy – join the e-mail list and receive free dessert redeemable during your birthday month
Noodles Company – Sign up for their newsletter and they’ll send a coupon for a free meal for your birthday.
Orange Julius – Buy 1 drink, Get 1 free, offer valid for 3 weeks. Join the OJ Quench Club plus you will receive a Buy 1 get 1 free offer when you join!
Outback Steakhouse - Free dessert or appetizer.
P.F. Chang’s – Free cake or cheesecake via their e-mail list.
Qdoba – Join the eClub for a free burrito.
Quizno’s - Join their mailing list for a free cookie.
Red Lobster – Free slice of cake if you join their Overboard Club.
Red Robin – Free Hamburger if you sign up for the E-club.
Ruby Tuesday - Sign up in advance and they’ll send you something?
Subway - with proof of your birthdate receive a free 6 inch.
Taco Bell - Free combo meal of your choice.
The Melting Pot- Free dessert coupon during your birthday month, plus extras throughout the year.
Wendy’s – Receive a free treat on your birthday when register for Wendy Mail, plus a $1 coupon.

{scrapbooking space envy}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:39:00 +0000

July 31.

this is the day after my brother's wedding.

also the day, my mother and I move our joint scrapbooking space into his room! :)

My mom and I live very close together (less than 1.5 miles) and in order to save resources (and money by not buying two of everything) we share a scrapbooking space in her basement. (at least until my husband and I buy a house, we live in a condo now...)

Christine of Retrospection posted pics of her scrapbooking space today & let me tell you, I'm green. Green with envy! Envy for July 31 and for the day my husband and I buy a bigger house and I'll get a scrapbook dedicated room!

I just love the wall color and the unexpected pop of color with the green, blue and pink!

I want to sit in this chair and read with a cup of tea.. mmmmmm!

diggin' the inspiration board!

Seriously? Can I move in NOW?

{Better food porn}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:19:00 +0000

I've always wanted to take good food pictures! It always seems like my pictures make the food look gross :( so I've never posted my food porn before. I came across this article today and hopefully I can learn to make good food porn now :)

Enjoy!
The Ten Tastiest Food Photography Tips

Food has an agenda. It wants you to eat it, and it wants you to eat it now.

If you dilly-dally around Food, trying to photograph it instead of eating it, its defense mechanism kicks in. It immediately looks terrible in pictures, forcing you to give up, put down the camera, and eat the Food. Natural selection at work.

The time has come to subvert Food’s Evil Agenda. Read our tips, take up your cameras, and join the glorious food photography revolution!

We’ve all heard the rumors about the terrible things food photographers do to make food look good. Horror stories about food stylists with their cans of shoe polish, burnishing raw turkeys to make them look roasted. Scoops of mashed potatoes glistening atop ice cream cones, covered in chocolatey-looking motor oil.

Fortunately, few of us know how to accomplish styling atrocities of that ilk. We’re just ordinary Joes, trying to make restaurant food look as good as it smells, or capture the deliciousness of Aunt Sally’s fresh-baked biscuits. It takes a little doing to make food photogenic, but it’s easy once you know how.

1: Setting
Choose a setting that enhances, but doesn’t distract from your food. Pick a simple, plain background or tablecloth.

Use plates whose color contrasts with or harmonizes with your food, but not ones that are the same color.

Before you start shooting, make sure there isn’t any distracting clutter in the background of the shot (stray people, silverware, whatever). Using a wider aperture to blur the background will help.

2: Light
Use natural light whenever you can. The ideal set-up is a next to a large window, with a white curtain to diffuse the light.

If you can’t get natural light, don’t be tempted to use your flash. Flash photography is too harsh for food’s delicate sensibilities. It flattens everything out and makes for unappealing shiny spots.
3: Color Balance
Learn to color balance. Especially in situations where natural light is unavailable, your photos can have a yellow or blue cast that makes food look terrible (see the blue bacon pictured right). Use the white balance setting on your camera, or adjust the color digitally later on.

4: Don’t Move
Hold still. In low-light situations like restaurants and kitchens, long exposures will register any camera movement as blur. Use a tripod whenever possible. If you don’t have one, try resting your camera on a water glass or the back of a chair. Or make yourself a string tripod.

5: Shoot A Lot
Take lots of pictures. Move around the food and see what angle looks best: down low to see the food head-on? Up high to take in the geometry of the presentation?

6: Zoom In
Get in as close as you can. Use the macro setting on your camera if it has one. Fill the frame with the food, so the viewer can almost taste it.

7: Preparation
Don’t forget to take pictures of the process. Sometimes making the food (chopping, cooking) can be as interesting as the final product.

8: Be Quick
Work quickly. The faster you take pictures of the food, the fresher it will look. Cold, congealed meat and wilted salads just don’t look good.

Use an empty plate to help you set up your shot before the food is ready. At the last minute, slip in the real plate of food.

9: Details
The devil is in the details. Check the edges of your plates and glasses for stray food, and wipe away any smudges. Use sauces and garnishes to add color to drab shots (i.e. adding a lemon wedge to iced tea).

10: Don’t Shoot
Know what not to shoot. Some things will just never look delicious, no matter how hard you try.

Meals that are all the same color and brown sauces are best left alone. And tasty though they may be, we defy you to make a haggis look good.

Photos from photojojo.com

{time for bike riding}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:36:00 +0000

The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community.
~Ann Strong

Photo credit (not sure where they came from, all found on yahoo images)

{I'm in love}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Come visit me: Valerie@Pinterest

{Our Lil' Picnic n' the Park}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:39:00 +0000

I really, really, really want to go on a picnic!!! I did some drooling over a couple blogs and cooking sites and created a couple picnic menus for you to drool over also!!

Menu Ideas:

Appetizer:

puff pastry cheese twists
Fruit Butter
Herb Dip
cucumber & Dill Bites

Main dish:

Turkey Pita
Corn on the Cobb Wrap
fried chicken with pecan honey glaze
Steak Sandwich
Picnic Pita
Turkey Sandwich
ham sandwich with nectarine salsa
barbecued burgers
Grilled Shrimp tortilla Sandwiches

Salad:

Patio Pasta Salad
herbed tortellini salad
antipasti salad
macaroni salad
ham salad on biscuits
spinach salad with pears and warm bacon dressing
picnic macaroni salad

Fruit:

Fun Fruit Ideas
summer fruit with wine and mint

Dessert:

Pie in a Jar!
Mini Lemonade Cakes
Cheesecake in a Jar
Apple Hand Pies
bittersweet double chocolate coconut smores
Chocolate Cookies

Drink:

orangecello
Sangria
italian lemonade recipe
Berry Lemonade
Mint iced tea
Mango Iced tea
half and half with lemonade ice cubes

Packed up and ready to go:

Picnic Baskets
True Fabrications Picnic Stix Set
Picinc Blanket
Picinic Book
Good Day Picnic Simple Travels

Here are some tips from the food network for a great picnic!

Keep these simple tips in mind to ensure your day is all about rest and relaxation.

• Freeze drinks the night before. Not only will your drinks stay cold the next day, they'll help keep your food chilled.

• To keep your picnic festive, bring a colorful and comfortable blanket. Extra towels can serve as pillows when sunbathing or napping.

• Set up your picnic in the shade.

• Although baskets can be quite stylish, a cooler packed with ice is safer.

• Make sure foods that are meant to be served cold are thoroughly cooled before packing.

• If you're driving, transport your cooler in the air-conditioned car, not in the trunk.

• Throw away any food that's been out of the cooler for more than an hour.

Supplies

When packing a picnic, don't forget these essentials:

• Blanket
• Insect repellent
• Napkins
• Plates
• Silverware
• Serving utensils
• Cups and wine glasses
• Corkscrew or bottle opener
• Paring knife
• Cutting Board
• Condiments
• Damp wipes or cloths for washing up
• Garbage bag

I'm going to start a new series called: {Our Lil' Picnic n' the Park} where I'll journal about our picnics! I'm hoping for at least one per weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.. stay tuned!

Note: If anyone would like to do a picnic themed blog swap, please contact me!!!

{daily inspiration}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:19:00 +0000

I don't post as often as I used to (or want to) but I certainly read blogs and articles daily. I enjoy the inspiration from fellow bloggers and I try to keep on top of things…

Here are some blogs I enjoy reading:

Gina’s skinny recipes

nhershoes

Cathy Zielske

A Room somewhere

Blue Cricket Designs

Sherbet Blossom

Kyla Roma

Joy's Hope

Lisa Dickinson

Kevin and Amanda

Ali Edwards

Kelly Purkey

Elizabeth Kartchner

Becky Higgins

Hostess with the Mostest

One times 100

Seth Godin

Thank you all for your daily inspiration!

-Valerie

{Postage Stamps}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:00 +0000

# 8 on my life list while I’m 25 is to use at least 25 stamps. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t been counting for the last 8 months.. Which means I need to start now… On the front page of yahoo this morning was a cool article (if you’re a nerd like me you’ll find it cool  ) regarding US Mail. Here are a couple tips that I didn’t know or forget when I mail something…

Remember this on Valentine’s Day: It takes our machines longer to read addresses on red envelopes (especially if they’re written in colored ink).

Media Mail is a bargain, but most of you don’t know to ask for it. Sending ten pounds of books from New York City to San Francisco through Media Mail costs $5.89, compared with $16.77 for Parcel Post. Besides books, use it to send magazines, manuscripts, DVDs, and CDs; just don’t include anything else in the package.

Use a ballpoint pen. Ink from those felt tips runs in the rain.

Source:

13 Things Your Mail Carrier Won’t Tell You

{CUTE!}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:56:00 +0000

diy valentine's cakes from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

{ My one word }

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Text from Myoneword.org

"If you’re like most people, each January goes something like this: You choose a problematic behavior that has plagued you for years and vow to reverse it. In fact, you can probably think of two or three undesirable habits—make that four or five.

Thus begins the litany of imperfections to be perfected, commonly known as New Year’s Resolutions. All of which are typically off your radar by February."

Check out myoneword.org to think about picking your one word for the year. I haven't decided what my will be yet. But when I do, I will post it here.

{Free Goals and Priorities Diary }

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Now’s the time of year that we are all making goals and resolutions, right? If you’re one of them and want to organize your goals and priorities, you can “Like” the Getting Organized Wizard on Facebook and get a code for a free copy of the Goals & Priorities Diary (worth $29).

Thanks, Dana Adams {Mrs. Moneysaver}!

{Places I want to Eat in 2011 List}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:56:00 +0000

I'm starting a "Places I want to Eat in 2011" list! The list will include restaurants, coffee shops, diners, etc. I will include the name, location, photo (from their website), website address and how I heard about it.

Come along with me :) Also- please send your suggestions!!!

1. Highlands Cork and Coffee
3701 W. 32nd Denver, CO 80211, 303-433-2500

I heard they have snuggies for sitting out by the fire, fun!

From: The Westword | Denver

2. The Peak Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Denver
650 15th Street, 27th floor,

It has floor-to-ceiling windows on the 27th floor :)

From: The Westword | Denver

3. Mermaids Bakery and Pie Shop

1543 Champa Street, Denver, CO 80202, 303/534-0956

From Bakerella

4. Crepes ‘n Crepes

2816 East 3rd Avenue, Denver, CO - (303) 320-4184
1512 Larimer St # 6R, Denver, CO - (303) 534-1620

From Bakerella

5. Lovely confections bakery

1489 Steele St., Unit C Denver CO 80206, 720-524-7770

Known for their vanilla cupcake

From Bakerella

6. Amore Gelato

535 16th Street #120 [16th & Welton], Denver, CO 80202, (303) 825-0609

From http://bakerella/

{Blog Swap: Karen from Dream Once More. }

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Hi, I'm Karen and I usually post at Dream Once More. Valerie and I are participating in the 20 Something Bloggers blog swap, and you can find Valerie's post at my blog.

Action. What will you do next year that you've been putting off for too long?

I got my first digital camera in early 2004, nearly seven years ago. I am now onto my third camera and have taken thousands of pictures. I haven't printed any of them yet. I always back up my pictures at least twice, because back in 2004, I lost a few pictures that I had only saved onto my laptop due to a broken hard drive. That's why I'm not really worried about losing the pictures, but printing them and putting them into photo albums has been on my to-do list for years.

Back in early 2005, I went to San Francisco for my spring break and I bought a notebook to use as a photo album. I was going to print a bunch of photos representing the year I lived in the US and give it to my parents for Christmas. It is now five years later and, you guess it, the notebook is still empty. My parents never got a photo album from me. Nor did I make one for myself using the other notebook I bought.

Let's face it, how often do you actually browse pictures from six years ago on your laptop? I would love to have photo albums that highlight my best photos and favorite moments of the past few years. While I just recently got a job that I will be starting in a month, meaning I will be busier than ever, it also means I will finally make money, allowing me to print all the photos I want from the past seven years.

For the next year, I am planning to make the photo albums starting with the photos from 2004 and slowly moving my way up to the most recent photos. And you know what, I am actually looking forward to re-living my college years in pictures.

What has been on your to-do list for way too long?

{Mason Jar Pumpkin Trifle}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:46:00 +0000

This look wonderful, must try the Mason Jar Pumpkin Trifle!!

Pumpkin Trifle

1 package (14-1/2 ounces) gingerbread cake mix

1-1/4 cups water

1 egg

4 cups cold fat-free milk

4 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water and egg, beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. When completely cooled, crumble the cake. Set aside 1/4 cup crumbs for garnish.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in pumpkin and spices until well blended.

Next you can either layer in a trifle bowl doing crumbs, pudding, frozen whipped cream and then REPEAT or you can do what I did and use mason jars... (http://www.tasteofhome.com/)

After everything is baked and prepared, set out everything you will need in a a little assembly line. This recipe filled about 12 small to medium size mason jars.

Just start layering! Put cake crumbs in the bottom.

Pumpkin pudding next
Cool Whip next and then Repeat until you run out of room

And Ta Da!!! Make a cute topper for your mason jar and tie some raffia or cute ribbon around the jar and you will have one cute and tasty dessert!

{Turkey Cranberry Wreath}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:37:00 +0000

Something about mixing turkey and cranberry together! MMMM!

Turkey Cranberry Wreath

2 pkgs (8 oz ea) refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Combine in large bowl:
½ mayonnaise
2 Tbsp honey Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped (about 12 oz)
½ cup celery, sliced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, snipped
½ cup dried cranberries
4 oz swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)
¼ walnuts, chopped
1 egg, separated to keep white, (set aside yolk for other use)

Preheat oven to 375 deg. Unroll crescent dough, separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center of the Large Round Stone, arrange 8 triangles in a circle. Corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend 1 inch beyond edge of baking Stone. Match wide end of each remaining triangle to wide end of each outer triangle, seal seams (created by touching triangle bases) using dough roller. Points will temporarily overlap in center; do not seal! Scoop filling over seams of dough, forming a circle of filling. Beginning in center, lift the topmost pointed end of dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer strips, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first. Beat egg white lightly and brush over dough. Bake wreath 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut, serve and enjoy! YUM!!!

{reasons I like winter}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:24:00 +0000

I said like winter .... not love winter....

From: We are crazy about crazy things

{to-do list for the week..}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Try this...

From skinnytaste.com

Find something yummy to make from this....

From slow-cooker-recipe-file-free-download

Keep workin' on this....

From 21 Challenge

Start on this.....

From december-daily

Thinkin about this....

From baking-party

Whats on your to-do list this week???!?!?

{10 Tips to Turning Your Passion Into Your Career}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Still working on this one for myself!

Stay tuned but in the meantime:

http://ysn.com/10-tips-to-turning-your-passion-into-your-career/

{what i wore}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:59:00 +0000

I wish I was as cute as these ladies... 1 & 2... But next week you will see what I wore for the week!!

{Card Making Class-By Mail}

noreply@blogger.com (vQh) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:07:00 +0000

{Card Making Class-By Mail}

Valerie's Card Making Workshop

(Kits ship on Saturday 11/6)

You will make:

3 Birthday (girl-ish)

2 Birthday (boy-ish)

3 Thank you

2 Just a note

10 Total!! (Pics up soon!!!)

Cost

$30 (invoice will be sent to you via paypal)

Includes:

All precut supplies (to save time) for 10 Cards (with envelopes), adhesive, and shipping cost!

Techniques we will use

die cutting and punches

stamping and "vintaging" your cards

sewing (needle & thread) for papercrafting

embossing

using ribbon & buttons

making your own embellishments

layering

brads and eyelets (and how to use a crop-a-dile)

using household items for cards

card storage & brag books

and more!

Anyone is welcome to order 2 kits and make 20 cards if you like! The cost for 2 kits is $50 (save $10).

Contact me @ valerieqhernandez(at)yahoo(dot)com