Colie's Kitchen

Seventh Generation Diaper and Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax Giveaway

2012-02-25T13:15:00.000-06:00

Welcome the newest arrival of products from Seventh Generation that are gentle on baby, safe for the planet, and convenient for you, not to mention “Lorax approved!”

In partnership with Universal Studios’ motion picture debut of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax* also known as the “Speaker for the Trees” who brings environmental truth and ecological hope to all, Seventh Generation will feature limited edition Lorax prints on all our diapers and training pants.

These prints are intended to remind parents and caregivers of the lessons of The Lorax, and encourage family reading and environmental awareness while creating a few smiles. Discover (or rediscover) Dr. Suess’ The Lorax as you read about his legacy and messages of sustainability with your child, and inspire a new generation of environmentalists starting with your family!

The Seventh Generation family of Free & Clear baby products continues to deliver on your needs as it expands in March, with the addition of NEW Overnight Diapers. Moreover, Free & Clear diapers have been redesigned with new, improved tabs for better fit while Free and Clear training pants now have an absorbent core that is made with more renewable materials.

Be among the first to try these new products before they hit store shelves and rest assured that with every Seventh Generation purchase you’re helping to protect the planet for future generations!

NEW Overnight Diapers are absorbent enough to keep your baby and bedding dry through the night or during prolonged travel
Free & Clear diapers have improved more flexible tabs that provide even better fit
Free & Clear training pants have an absorbent core made with more renewable, plant-based materials. They also feature stretchy, tear away side panels for a better fit and added convenience, as well as inner leak barriers for superior leakage protection
Seventh Generation Free & Clear baby care products do not contain chlorine, fragrance, petroleum-based lotions or latex, and all Free & Clear products are also hypo-allergenic
Starting March 2, you can register for a free The Lorax scrapbook with the purchase of any three Free & Clear diaper products, until supplies last
*The movie Dr. Seuss' The Lorax © 2012 Universal Studios debuts in theaters this March. Based on The Lorax book and characters ™ & © 1971 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved.

www.SeventhGeneration.com

*Seventh Generation*

Prize Pack Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion. Full Disclosure Policy*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Perrigo Nutritionals Infant Formula Prize Pack Giveaway

2012-02-23T19:01:00.003-06:00

All new moms’ want the best when it comes to their baby and strive to make smart decisions when purchasing necessities. With so many options available, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious. However, when it comes to feeding your little one you don’t have to look any further than Perrigo Nutritionals store brand infant formulas.

A recent study* shows that only 30% of moms are willing to buy store brand products for their babies, but did you know that all infant formulas made in the United States must provide complete nutrition for growing babies and meet FDA requirements for safety, nutrition, and quality? In fact, store brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent to similar national formula brands such as Enfamil or Similac, but cost half the price, which can save you about $600 a year.

Outlined below are intriguing statistics generated from a recent study* conducted among new moms like yourself:

Baby-related advertisements strike an emotional chord with moms – nearly one in four feel overwhelmed (23%) and one in five feel anxious (20%) or confused (20%)
53% of moms admit thoughts of their baby product budget plague them on a daily basis
37% of moms feel guilty if they cannot afford a specific product for their babies
Moms are willing to purchase store brand over the counter medicine for their baby (42%) and store brand pharmaceuticals (44%), but only 21% of moms are willing to buy store brand infant formula.

Perrigo Nutritionals store brand infant formulas, available at retailers, such as Walmart (Parent’s Choice), Target (Up & Up), Kroger (Comforts) and Sam’s Club (Simply Right), adhere to the highest quality standards, so you can feel confident that you have made a smart choice for your baby and save money for the family. But you don’t have to take our word for it, click here to hear about the benefits of store brand formula from one of the country’s leading pediatricians, Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg.

*All results are taken from the Perrigo Nutritionals “Brand” New Mom Study

http://www.storebrandformula.com

*Perrigo Nutritionals*

Formula Prize Pack

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion. Full Disclosure Policy*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

What Are You Giving Up For Lent?

2012-02-22T12:00:00.021-06:00

Happy Ash Wednesday!

I love this time of year for some many reasons. I love the fact that spring is just around the corner and I love that Easter Sunday is only six weeks away. More than anything I love giving something up as a sacrifice for Lent. Jesus sacrificed for me! It’s the least I can do for him.

In the past I have given up chocolate and failed, but the last two years I have given up soda and I was very successful with it. I decided not to give up soda this time because I have proven I can do it there for it is not a sacrifice for me.

This year I am making a personal change challenge, and I am giving up something. Yep two for the price of one ...

I have been having a terrible time with potato chips of any kind. I just can’t seem to stay clear of them. They call my name day and night. It's crazy! My husband has the same problem, so he is of no help to me.

This year for Lent I am giving up all chips of any kind, potato, corn, tortilla you name it. No chips for 6 weeks or 40 days, but who’s counting?

My personal change challenge is that I am going to be incorporating more water into my diet because that seems to be another struggle I am having too much soda and not enough water. I have a cup called a Bubba that holds 55 ounces of liquid. I am challenging myself to drink 2 full Bubba cups per day as my Lenten personal challenge.

I know it's not the greatest and most powerful sacrifice but it's a huge one to me right now for both the chips and the water!!

What are you giving up for Lent this year?

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Kroger Co. Family of Stores Cart Buster $25 Gift Card Giveaway

2012-02-22T00:05:00.000-06:00

Get ready for the Cart Buster Savings Event exclusively at Kroger and the Kroger Co. Family of Stores. You’ll see Big Savings Storewide on some of your favorite brands! And look out for some special offers and coupons only available at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores, and only available for this event!

Beginning the week of February 26th, 2012, shop the Kroger Co. Family of Stores biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P & G, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kroger Banner Brands.

During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you’ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes:

Kroger Ralph’s King Soopers

City Market Dillon’s Smith’s

Fry’s QFC Baker’s

Owen’s Jay C Food Stores Hilander

Gerbes Food4Less

Pay Less Super Markets Scott’s Food & Pharmacy

Check your local store to confirm the exact dates for your Cart Buster Savings Event.

Here are just a handful of the great brands participating in the event:

Cheerios Lucky Charms Pillsbury

Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper Yoplait

Progresso Totino’s Green Giant

Cascadian Farm Tide Charmin

Bounty Pampers Pantene

Crest Iams Febreze

Old Spice Bounce Pepsi

Ruffles Quaker Tostito’s

Rice A Roni Tropicana Stacy’s

Sobe Mountain Dew Gatorade

Looking for even more ways to save time and money? Visit CartBuster.com beginning 2/26/12 to find money-savings digital coupons, shopping lists and more. And starting 2/29/12 you can participate in the “Deal of the Day”! How does the Deal of the Day work?

During seven days of the Cart Buster Savings Event, 2/29/12 - 3/6/12, there will be a super hot, exclusive offer good on one participating Cart Buster item. Each offer will be exclusive and available for one-day only – but the offer will be good for the duration of the entire event. You have to watch for this! Last year I received a lot of great freebies like Free Tide Detergent!

You’ll see savings of up to and over 50% with the Deal of the Day offers – maybe even some freebies - and that’s on top of the already-low, low prices that Cart Buster has to offer!

Look for seven days of “Deal of the Day offers” beginning 2/29/12. The Last Deal of the Day offer will be up on 3/6/12. But don’t fret - the Cart Buster event will continue even after the Deal of the Day ends. Check your local store for the exact end date for the Cart Buster Savings Event.

www.CartBuster.com

*Kroger Family of *
Stores $25

Gift Card Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Menu Plan Monday 2/20-2/26/2012

2012-02-20T20:12:00.000-06:00

Better late than never! This weekend was such a nightmare that I am hoping and praying that this will be a simple and quiet week. I just don’t want to have to deal with anymore if you know what I mean. I am keeping dinners super easy and simple in hopes of accomplishing everything that I have to get done this week. I have an algebra test, political science test, an algebra quiz, art history quiz, and a lot of algebra homework! Ugh!

Anyway so what do you have planned for this week? Do you find that menu planning helps you out if you do it?

Menu Plan Monday
Menu Plan	Main Dish	Vegetable	Vegetable	Side Dish	Other
Monday	Chinese Food
Tuesday	BBQ's Baked Potatoes
Wednesday	Alysons Vegetarian Chili				Corn bread
Thursday	Crispy Ranch Chicken	Asparagus	Steamed Broccoli
Friday	Fish Out (Lent)
Saturday	Family Dinner Out
Sunday	Honey Garlic Pork Chops	Mixed Veggies		Brown Rice
*Alternate Meal*	Salsa Chicken	Roasted Carrots	Corn
*Alternate Meal*	Poblano Chicken Chowder

For more menu planning ideas please visit www.orgjunkie.com

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Mailbox Question: KitchenAid Mixer

2012-02-18T21:53:00.000-06:00

I get questions emailed to me almost every day from readers wanting to know what kind of appliances I have used or if I have any recommendations. This question I love because it gives me a chance to brag on my favorite kitchen product.

Emailed Question: Hi Nicole, I am in the process of updating my kitchen, and I would like to splurge on a few nice products for myself. What is your favorite small appliance? –Emilie

Hi Emilie,

Thank you for stopping by and asking such a great question. It really isn’t all that hard for me to choose my favorite small kitchen appliance. I love …. Obsessively so … my KitchenAid Mixer. I received it as a bridal shower gift six years ago and I simply love it. I don’t really think you can get much better than a KitchenAid Mixer or anything KitchenAid for that matter. It’s a great brand full of great products.

My KitchenAid mixer makes my life so much easier. I use it every chance I get. If I can mix it I use my mixer. I mix dips, and mashed potatoes so there are no lumps. I also love using it for baked goods. Making cookie mixes is a breeze. What used to take me forever is now done in a matter of minutes.

My cousin was over during the holidays helping make my cookie dough up so that it would be ready in time for Christmas. She fell in love with my mixer. I can’t tell you how many times she said “Wow this is just going so much faster than it would normally go.” Ha! You have got that right it makes everything go faster!

There are times I just use it for the sake of using it. If whatever I am making needs to be mixed or could possibly have lumps I put it in the mixer.

I know a lot of people will say they are a little too expensive and will settle for something less. I understand their concerns but I will also respond to that by suggesting that you hold off buying something you really don’t want or settling for something you really don’t want verses just waiting until you can purchase this little beauty. Yes it cost a little more than most, but it’s well worth the money invested in it.

Like I said before I have had mine for six years and have never had one problem with my KitchenAid mixer. It’s a wonderful product that makes my life so much easier. If you are in the market for a mixer here are some coupon codes from kitchenaid.

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Gift Cards... Love them or Hate them...

2012-02-18T10:02:00.003-06:00

I love gift cards, and I love giving away gift cards here on Colie’s Kitchen. There are so many reasons to love them. A gift card is a great way to give someone a gift that you have no idea what to give them. It’s also a great way to give a gift to someone you don’t know.

I have a lot of friends that say giving gift cards is unimaginative or not thoughtful but I disagree. I think gift cards are a great way to insure that the person you are giving to can get something they really love.

During the holidays I gave out a lot of gift cards to people like the post man, the person that helps around the house and to our family spread throughout the country. I love giving them as gifts to people we have to mail gifts too. It’s super easy to mail and you always have the card number. If it gets lost in the mail you don’t have to worry you can simply cancel the card and have a new one issued. You can’t say that about other things you mail regardless of having insurance on it.

The best gift cards for my friends and family seem to be gift cards like Wal-Mart or even Best Buy. I found that I sent more of both of those types this holiday season.

What are your thoughts on gift cards? It seems to be a divided issue… love them or hate them?

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Children's Advil Coupon

2012-02-17T18:21:00.001-06:00

Flu season may leave your child feeling feverish, so as the season heats up, don't get caught empty-handed and having to make that midnight run to the pharmacy.

Children's Advil^® is there to offer the relief you and your child can depend on!

Children's Advil^®provides up to 8-hours of fever relief in just one dose, relieving fever faster and keeping it down longer to help kids get back to feeling like kids again.

Click here for an online coupon link for Children's Advil.

Dye-free Infants' Advil^® is available for children ages 6-23 months and Children's Advil^® is available for ages 2-11 in four great liquid suspension flavors including Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape, as well as convenient Grape Chewables.

For more information, visit us at www.childrensadvil.com.

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission this coupon was given to Colie's Kitchen by Advil through Myblogspark at no cost to Colie's Kitchen nor was Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

How to Make a Decorative Pie Crust

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago I set out to make a pie to serve after our Sunday family dinner. I wanted to have a pretty crust on my pie but in all honestly I didn’t have a clue how to make a pretty crust. I remember my Nana always had pretty crust, and my Mom always has too. But how? You can find anything and everything online so why not a video that teaches you how to make a pretty crust? Sure enough I found one! Here is the video and a picture of my crust! What do you think?

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Spring Chick Challenge Midweek Update!

2012-02-15T12:00:00.001-06:00

I forgot to do my check in post this week so I thought I would post it today for my midweek Spring Chick Challenge Post.

I did great last week considering I was sick most of the week. I am sure I did well with my calories because I didn’t eat a lot each day. I didn’t get in my goal for exercise because I was exhausted and so stuffy that half the time I was too stuffy to breath.

I am proud of myself because I did get in a lot of exercise Monday and Tuesday of last week and I felt amazing doing it. Wednesday morning I woke up feeling like I had been run over. I was extremely tired, stuffy head and nose, I just feeling horrible.

I took it easy the remainder of the week and did a lot of sleeping … I mean a lot! Every time my husband would come in the room I was in he would find me asleep, then we would go to bed and I would fall asleep for the night. On a normal day I could never do that!!

I am starting to feel better! The stuffies are starting to go away and the pounding heading is sporadic verses constantly!! I am still coughing and have congestion in my chest, but it’s starting to go away.

My week so far has been very low impact. I have used my resistance bands a few times and did some walking but that is about it. My husband has “encouraged” me to take it easy so that I do not … in his words… relapse! HAHHAHA

So anyway what was the damage last week? Well I lost 1.7 pounds which I am happy with! Considering everything posted above I did well. I didn’t track calories because I didn’t feel like dealing with it, or being on the computer most of the time. For the most part I made good decisions. I could have done without the ice cream a few days in a row, but it felt so amazing on my throat. I think I would have eaten anything to make my throat happy.

Borrowed From Faith and Fitness

So all in all 5 out of the 7 days I didn’t track calories, didn’t exercise, drank a lot of water, and ate ice cream a few days in a row and lost 1.7 lbs. I am happy with that!!

Here is to feeling better and another loss!!!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Wordless Wednesday: New Dryer! #Lowes

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000-06:00

Finally our new dryer is here rain and all!! It was pouring the day it was delivered and it was soaked, but it made it.

Nope, this dryer isn’t fancy and it certainly wasn’t expensive, but it’s a huge upgrade from the dryer I had! Heck working is an upgrade. It’s much bigger, with a buzzer and a light on the inside, and it’s also brand new! My old one was 10 years old. I have a heavy blanket that would have to dry for 3 hours in my old dryer in this dryer it took 70 minutes! Wahoo!! That is awesome!!

I got a sweet deal on it. I paid $399 for it at Lowes with free delivery after price matching it from a Best Buy sale. Best Buy was sold out so Lowes gave me their sale price. It saved me $150.00… not bad! Getting it from Lowe’s was more drama than it was worth and to be honest with you I would never buy an appliance from Lowes again. They had my order so messed up. They tried to deliver it incorrectly twice, the third time it was finally right. I placed the order on a Friday and it should have been delivered on that Monday instead it took 2 weeks because they couldn’t get it right. But it’s here and I am happy to have it.

Like I said it’s not a fancy one, but it works for what I need it for. I didn’t want to spend a lot on a new dryer. Since we moved our utility room is not on the inside anymore, but on the outside. You have to go out a sliding glass door to get to the utility room. Although the room is not exposed to the outside elements it’s totally enclosed, but it’s not air conditioned so it can be warm and humid in there. Spending $900 on a dryer didn’t make sense. Plus I don’t use much on the dryer other than hot, high and on lol!

You have no idea what you have until it stops working!! Oh happy day!!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Happy Chinese Food Day!!

2012-02-14T10:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Chinese Food day!!

OK you must be thinking to yourself what the heck is she talking about? I know it sounds funny, but my husband and I refuse to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We have never done it once since we started dating.

I have always hated Valentine’s Day! Why… because I just don’t understand why one day a year it suddenly becomes important to show someone you love them and shower them with gifts. In my opinion if you love someone you should show it every day, and I think it’s more special when someone surprises you with unexpected gift verses the expected on Valentine’s Day.

The only time I will defend Valentine’s Day is when someone will say “it’s just a holiday made up by Hallmark!” Ugh! I hate that… I was a manager for Hallmark when I was in my teens so I will defend them to my death LOL!

I remember when I was a kid my Dad told me that one day a man would really appreciate me because I didn’t expect them to go over board for Valentine’s Day! He was right because my husband loves that I can care less, and I love it that he feels the same way.

So anyway…

Why Happy Chinese Food day? Our first Valentine’s Day we had Chinese takeout and had such a great time just hanging out and having a simple dinner that we decided to make it a tradition! We order a few dishes from our favorite Chinese restaurant King Wok, we sit on the floor and just talk and have fun! Chinese Food Day is our version of Valentine’s Day!

Do we exchange gifts… yes and no. In the past we have gotten tickets for Jimmy Buffett as a gift to each other, last year we got a Keurig Brewer, and this year we each got a IPod Touch 32gb. Mine is white and Kevin’s is black. It’s never a surprise just something we both want so we get it for our Chinese Food Day gift hahhaha.

I know … it’s crazy, but it’s fun lol!!

With that being said… Happy Chinese Food Day!

Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Menu Plan Monday 2/13-2/19/2012

2012-02-13T10:00:00.007-06:00

I hope you all had a great week last week. My menu wasn't anything like I had planned because I got sick. Left overs were on the menu most of last week. Soup was my friend! Here is my menu plan for the week. We are keeping our menu simple this week by using up things we already have in the freezer or pantry. I am still not feeling 100% but we have to eat right? What's on your menu?

Menu Plan Monday
Week Day	Main Dish	Vegetable	Side Dish	Other
Monday	Poblano Chicken Chowder	Salad		Grilled Chili Cheese Toast
Tuesday	Chinese Food Day
Wednesday	Easy Garlic Chicken	Roasted Carrots	Pan Fried Cabbage
Thursday	Grilled Veggy Wraps		Garlicky Asparagus Pasta Salad
Friday	Loaded BBQ Baked Potatoes
Saturday	Braided Spaghetti Bread	Sauteed Mushrooms
Sunday	Meat Loaf	Green Beans	Left Over Garlicky Asparagus Pasta Salad
*Alternate Meal*	Chicken Tortilla Soup
*Alternate Meal*	Texas Stew			Corn Bread

For more menu planning ideas please visit www.orgjunkie.com

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Hasselback Potatoes

2012-02-11T21:38:00.002-06:00

My husband is Swedish so I am always trying to find recipes I think he would like and that would be familiar to him. I decided I would make Hasselback Potatoes to go along with our dinner one night only to find out my husband had never hear of them lol.

I couldn’t find a recipe for them in my mother-in-laws recipe box which should have been clue one, but I made them anyway. Although they were good I think there is a lot you could do with this particular potato. In some ways I found it bland, but I think you could spruce it up a bit and make these fantastic. I find most Swedish food to be a bit bland so it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me. They are certainly worth trying!! Get creative!!

Ingredients

4 (8 ounce) baking potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Romano cheese
1 tablespoon seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Peel the potatoes, and place in bowl of cold water to prevent browning. Place potatoes into a large wooden or metal spoon. Using a sharp knife, make slices across the potato the short way about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart, making sure to cut down to the lip of the spoon, not all the way through the potato. The slices should stay connected at the bottom, and the spoon helps keep the depth even. Return the potato to the bowl of water, and proceed with the remaining potatoes.
When all of the potatoes are cut, place them cut side up in a shallow baking dish or small roasting pan. Drizzle with half of the butter, then season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the remaining butter. Sprinkle Romano cheese and bread crumbs onto the tops of the potatoes, and season with a little more salt and pepper. Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt Giveaway!!!

2012-02-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

There are millions of Americans with lactose intolerance – and for them, avoiding dairy may help minimize uncomfortable side effects, but did you know avoiding dairy can have unintended health consequences? According to the National Institute of Health, when dairy is avoided, there are lower intakes of calcium and vitamin D in the diet, both of which are important bone building nutrients often found in dairy. Avoiding dairy can create higher risk for osteoporosis.

Now, just in time for National Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month in February, Yoplait has announced its new Yoplait® Lactose Free yogurt. Inspired by the Yoplait yogurt we know and love, Lactose Free comes in four delicious flavors – Strawberry, Peach, French Vanilla and Cherry – and contains 50% of the recommended Daily Value of calcium, with vitamins A and D in every cup. Lactose Free contains no artificial sweeteners and can be used in some of your favorite recipes – like chocolate crème brulee and strawberry cheesecake.

What does it feel like to say YES after saying NO for so long? Find out by saying YES to Yoplait Lactose Free. It’s a little taste of freedom. Be one of the first to try new Yoplait Lactose Free. Click here to enjoy a coupon for $0.30 off Yoplait Lactose Free, hitting shelves in January 2012.

*Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt*

Prize Pack

Giveaway

*The coupon offer for Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt is not valid in some states, including Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

It’s the little things in life that I get excited about!!

2012-02-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I decided that I was going to burn 2000 calories and workout for 2 hours and I did it! No, I didn’t do it all at one time I had to break it up into a few sessions but I did it. I honestly didn’t think my body could handle it, but I didn’t have any problems and I didn’t get it any other options. It’s amazing what you can do when you are determined!

I am feeling good and feeling proud of myself. I had a lot of awful post from negative people yesterday. On a normal day I would have let that bring me down but not this time. I used their negativity as my inspiration! I set a goal and I worked it hard!

I made it a game and I had a great time with it. My husband joined in and worked his butt off too. I am excited and proud of my accomplishment. I calculated everything on myfitnesspal and kept track of everything.

I ended up going over my 1200 calories yesterday because I had dessert and a bunch of fruit but I am not too worried about it because everything I ate I burnt off. Today I am going to set the same goal for myself to see if I can do it. I want to do it as long as my knees can hold out.

I hope everyone on the Spring Chick Challenge is doing well and working hard!! The word that would describe my (challenge week) would be AWESOME! I am feeling good and mentally driven!! I hope it last but right now I feel great! I didn’t sign up for a buddy because well in all honesty I forgot to, but if you are looking for someone to work with or vent to I am here just drop me a note or an email!

*Food For Thought* ~ Your negativity and nastiness only fuels my engine! ;-)

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Wordless Wednesday: Let's Get Fruity!

2012-02-08T08:00:00.007-06:00

I have really been making a point of incorporating fruit into our daily lives. When you just need a snack fruit is an easy go to especially if you pass a big inviting bowl of fruit on the way to the kitchen.

I remember when I was a kid we always had a big bowl of fruit on the table that my parents would pick up at the farmers market. Our house now has the same thing. This is not the best time of year for fruit, so our bowl is a little simple, but I am looking forward to adding peaches, nectarines, and plums.

Someone already ate all of the pears…. ;-)

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Wine That Is a Must Try!... Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz #jamjar

2012-02-07T15:59:00.003-06:00

I love wine! My passion was exposed the day I found Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. I was initially attracted to the bottle because it looked like an old fashion jam jar lid. I know that sounds corny, but that's the truth.

Right away my husband and I knew we had to try Jam Jar! Since them Jam Jar is our go to wine. Over the Christmas holiday we had a white elephant gift exchange at our family Christmas Eve Party. My aunt was the lucky recipient of the Jam Jar... lucky lady!

Last night she called to say how much she loved the Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz! My aunt has become quite a connoisseur of wine so I wasn't sure what she was going to think to hear how much she loved it was exciting. To say I am a connoisseur would be a lie, but I do love Jam Jar! I cannot wait to try their new Moscato 2011.

My aunt told me she ordered a case from wine.com and received 1 cent shipping. That price is for a limited time, but if you are interested check it out, and don't forget to order your Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. BTW Jam Jar is not endorsing this I just love their wine and wanted to share!!

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Progresso "Souper You" Contest

2012-02-07T15:05:00.001-06:00

Progresso^® has announced the return of their Souper You^® Contest giving you the chance to win an incredible makeover! By telling Progresso why you deserve a makeover and what you love about their soup, you could have the chance to win an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood this Spring!

Now that the ball has dropped and the confetti has settled, it´s time to consider how you will stick to your resolution for the New Year and maintain your weight management plan, without sacrificing on variety or the taste of foods you love. Thanks to Progresso^®, you can have your soup and eat it too!

With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices.

This year, the Souper You^® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season´s live finale of NBC´s The Biggest Loser
Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd
Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th
In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup today, and feel free to share with your blog readers so they can take advantage of the savings as well

Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c

Click here to watch this amazing video of the 2011 winner experience. To share with others, simply embed the code below within your post or include this link, http://bit.ly/ProgressoSY11 in your Tweets, Facebook updates and blog posts.

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The information provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Kittencal's Taco Seasoning Mix

2012-02-07T12:00:00.002-06:00

I love this taco seasoning mix. I do not buy pre-packed mix anymore. I have heard from a lot of people that they can’t eat pre-packaged mix because of gluten issues, or because of other chemicals that tend to be in pre-packaged products. You don’t have to worry about any of those problems with this recipe because you control everything you put into your taco seasoning. I love Kittencal’s recipes!! Thanks Kitten you did it again!!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons mild chili powder (for the best flavor do not reduce this amount)
½-1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
2 -3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional or to taste)

Combine all ingredients (double or triple if desired) .

Store tightly sealed in a small glass jar until ready to use

**NOTE** this is only optional, if using the mix for tacos you might want to add in some flour into the seasoned cooked ground beef to thicken, I also add in about 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce and simmer, stirring for 20 minutes over low heat.

Original Recipe

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Spring Chick Challenge Day Week 5 Update

2012-02-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

Ugh! Last week was a nightmare and a half! The weather was terrible so there was no getting out for a walk or any type of outdoor workout! Rain …rain … and more rain!

I put almost everything I own can fit in into the wash machine so that I would have something to wear to school on Thursday mind you this was about 11pm. When the wash was done I put everything in the dryer. I checked on my clothes 1 hour later and they were still wet and I mean mega wet! I started the dryer again thinking maybe I had over loaded it. When the dryer turned on it was making this weird noise I had never heard before. I opened the dryer up again and noticed it didn’t look like any of my clothes had moved. My next thought was wow did I put so many clothes into one wash that the dryer won’t turn? I took half the clothes out and tried again… same noise, and once again it didn’t look like anything had moved. I then took everything out but one sock and sure enough it didn’t move. My dryer was dead! F&#K ALL of my clothes are wet and it’s now almost midnight! To top it all I didn’t sleep one second that night!

My small victory for the week was panicking and running into my closet praying that some of my smaller jeans would fit so that I had something to wear to school. GUESS WHAT they did. My one size smaller jeans fit like a dream! I was so happy that I almost forgot I had a dead dryer! Yuck!

My best moment of the week was obviously getting into those jeans.
My not so great moment was the damn dead dryer
My only funny story was when I walked into the house last week I started hearing my cats hissing only to realize we had an extra cat. Apparently a neighbors cat decided she wanted to hang out with us!
Am I where I hoped to be in this journey? The answer to that would be … not even close… Why? Because I would like to have lose 15 pounds in the 5 weeks instead I have only lost a few.

My mini challenge for this week will be to get a ton of exercise in my goal is 14 hours in this week! Whoop!!

BTW I Lost 2.5 lbs last week!!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Menu Plan Monday 2/6-2/12/2012

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

My goal this week is to keep us eating at home. We ate out entirely too much last week! Something has to change because wow does it add up not only on the checking account, but on the hips! Here is our menu plan for the week. What's on your menu this week?

Week Day	Main Course	Vegetable	Side Dish
Monday	Taquito-Enchilada Bake	Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips	Spanish Rice
Tuesday	Chili Dog Casserole		Tatar Tot Casserole
Wednesday	Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili		Biscuits
Thursday	Nana's Spaghetti Sauce	Asparagus	Garlic Bread
Friday	Crispy Chicken w/ Creamy Italian Sauce	Salad	Bow Tie Pasta
Saturday	Family Tradition Tacos	Chili Con Queso	Quick and Easy Refried Beans
Sunday	Sour Cream and Bacon Crock Pot Chicken	Butter Roasted Carrots	Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes

For More Menu Planning Ideas Visit www.OrgJunkie.com

Mild and Delicious Buffalo Wings

2012-02-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

I thought I would post my new favorite buffalo chicken wing recipe just in time for the Super Bowl! This is what we will be having for dinner tonight so I wanted to share the recipe just in case you were still searching for what to serve during the big game!

These are honestly the best wings I have ever eaten! They are mild but have the amazing buffalo flavor just without the killer heat. The great thing about this recipe is it starts off mild but you can easily adjust it to soot the needs of the person eating them.

If you want them to be hotter just add more Franks hot sauce, if the recipe is too hot just add more honey! It’s very easy to adjust based on your preference. I do highly and I mean HIGHLY recommend Franks Red Hot Sauce. It really did make this receipt phenomenal I would never use anything else again!

Ingredients:

2lbs Chicken Wings (I used boneless chicken breast cut into small pieces)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. pepper
1 Tsp. garlic powder
Oil for frying

Scott’s Wing Sauce Ingredients: ( I double the sauce recipe)

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup Franks red hot sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large zip bag. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture, coating completely, then you back up.
Put the coated chicken in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is very important because it will help the coating adhere to the chicken during frying, and it also helps to avoid having to dip your chicken in egg or milk before dredging it in the flour mixture.
While your chicken getting happy in the refrigerator in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, hot sauce, ketchup, and honey (I highly recommend doubling the wing sauce).
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until a nice it is nice and thick! Set aside.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and fry in the oil until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. To keep over of your chicken warm while you finish frying it up place it in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet in the over on 200 degrees.
When all chicken is cooked, toss in the sauce until completely coated, or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce!
Enjoy!

Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

General Mills Whole Grain Cereal Prize Pack GIVEAWAY!!

2012-02-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

As most of you know I have been on a quest to change the way I am eating, not just lose weight, but to eat healthier. I am also enforcing for my entire family. Ringing in the New Year often means new eating habits for most people, and it certainly does in our home.

Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Now every box of cereal you see in the grocery store with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste so that’s something to pay attention to when you are shopping for cereal. You will see “whole grain” as a part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.

According to Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of “The Doctors,” identifying whole grain products can be challenging. Shoppers can look for nutritional cues on the front of the box, but they need to read the ingredient list to know if they are getting enough whole grain. Ingredient lists detail ingredients in order of prevalence, and if the words “whole grain” are followed by a grain like wheat or oats, it means the food contains more whole grain than any other single ingredient. Here’s how to determine if your cereals have whole grain as a first ingredient:

With all the health messages facing grocery store shoppers, it can be confusing to translate what appears on food labels into nutritional needs, and hard to determine which foods have a meaningful amount of whole grain. Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet. They include:

Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day’s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
Don’t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don’t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

To help with choosing products with whole grain, General Mills developed “Fast Lane for Whole Grain,” an online educational game. Consumers can navigate virtual grocery store aisles and identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient, with the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the 50 cereals with the white check.

Make a commitment to add more whole grain to your diet by simply pouring a bowl of cereal with the white check including Cheerios^®, Lucky Charms^®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch^®, Honey Nut Cheerios^®and Total^®.

For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the “Fast Lane for Whole Grain” sweepstakes, visit www.WholeGrainNation.com.

General Mills has generously offered to give one of Colie’s Kitchen’s lucky readers 5 boxes of their new Whole Grain white check cereals including: Cheerios^®, Lucky Charms^®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch^®, Honey Nut Cheerios^®and Total^®. Get Ready To WIN!! www.WholeGrainNation.com:

*General Mills Whole Wheat*
Prize Pack Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Lower Calorie Lunch Review: Campbell's Select Harvest "Light" Italian-Style Vegetable Soup #campbells

2012-02-01T15:41:00.000-06:00

One hour after making lunch on Tuesday I realized I was starving. My lunch just wasn’t going to get me through the day. As a matter of fact I think I was starving all day because my lunch just didn’t satisfy me.

After searching online for at least an hour I realized there are not enough reviews of low calorie products on the web. I really like to read reviews of products before I buy them so that I am not wasting my money and more importantly I am not wasting my calories on something that really isn’t that great.

After what seemed like an endless hour of looking online I decided that when I did try something good or bad that was a low calorie option I would share my findings with you.

I headed to the store last night in search of something that would not only taste good, but was low calorie, and something I thought I would actually enjoy. Now that’s a hard challenge!

By the way these reviews will be my own honest opinions I am not being paid to do this nor have I been asked to do it by anyone or any company. I am doing this in hopes that it will not only inspire me, but it will inspire you to look for and eat low calorie options.

If there is something you can suggestion me trying, or a low calorie product you have been curious about trying let me know, if I can find it, and its low in calories I will give it a whirl! You can either post it here or email me at colie@colieskitchen.com

For my first low calorie review:

Today’s lunch:

Campbell's Select Harvest "Light" Italian-Style Vegetable Soup

First off right away I wanted to try this soup when I realized the entire 18.6oz. can was 100 calories! Bingo this is exactly what I was looking for! Something that was low in calories, healthy, and would fill me up!!

When I opened up the can I was pleasantly surprise because it smelled great! Very Italian! The tomato based broth is pretty thin, but like I said it smelled great. So what exactly do you get in the can?

Carrots
Spinach
Garbanzo beans
Ditalini pasta
Green beans
Celery
Tomato pieces
Onion

I hope I didn’t forget any ingredients! BTW you can just heat it up in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl or on the stove top like I did. No need to add water it's ready to serve!

I must say you get a very generous amount of everything per can. I assume this is a lower calorie take on Pasta e Fagioli if so this is a great make over. I did add a little salt to mine because in my opinion it needed it. I would rather a company leave salt out then add more than I care for.

So would I eat this soup again?

Absolutely! I really enjoyed the Campbell's Select Harvest "Light" Italian-Style Vegetable Soup. If you are in the mood for something Italian then this is a great go to soup! It’s very hearty, bursting with flavor, and I extremely satisfied after eating it. Maybe a little too full! I highly recommend this soup for lunch! You can’t beat a 100 calories, very satisfying soup for $1.49 a can!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com