Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Service interrupted.

I will be back tomorrow.  Sandy hit us and I didn't menu plan, because I didn't know if we would have power or not!  I may do 2 posts tomorrow, the Thrifty Tuesday one and the Wacky Wednesday with photos from the storm in our area.  Hope everyone is safe!  Now off to clean up.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Things I Love Thursday

1.  Coconut oil.  My skin has never felt better.  although I have to deal with the dogs trying to lick me to death after I put it on, it's totally worth it!!



2.  SiriusXM.  The 90s on 9 channel has been on FIRE this week.  My husband and I were jamming out all weekend to it.  The boy couldn't have been more embarrassed by us if we tried.



3.  ChefTap.  A new app I discovered for my Kindle Fire.  It can download recipes from any website and reorganize it for you in one place.  As much as I love pinterest, this keeps things organized and all in one place without having to click on a million webpages to get your recipes.  It will even pull all the recipes from your pinterest boards!  Any blog you want to use.  ANYTHING!  it's flippin' fantastic.



4.  Kindle Fire. I never thought I would find myself needing this.  My husband won one at a conference he went to 2 weeks ago, and I use it now as my recipe reader thanks to ChefTab.  No more cookbooks, magazines, or papers all over the counter.  I put this in my recipe holder and just work from it.  Totally worth it for that reason alone.



5.  Target.  I mean, who doesn't?  I could be there for hours, and I never leave empty handed.  I also can't wait for the Target Lady commercials to start for Black Friday :)



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wacky Wednesday

While in college, somehow we ended up with a coconut.  I don't really remember how we got it, but we did. We wanted to eat it.  The problem?  We only had a butter knife.  Here is a walk through of us trying to get into the goddamn coconut.


"Hmm maybe I can peel it?"


"Ok peeling didn't work.  Maybe I can stab it?"


"*&%&^$^%#$()("


"I'm gonna cut this bitch for finding this thing!"


"Take it outside and just throw the bitch"


"I promise it will be good Patty"


"At least the coconut has a sense of humor"


"We.Will.Always.Win.  Stupid coconut!"

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Thrifty Tuesday

1.  Looking for a great little gift for someone's stocking? This is little but powerful, and totally useful!

" The best nights with friends always start with the perfect soundtrack. Crank up the music and the fun with the OrigAudio Rock-It 3.0—which was featured on ABC's Shark Tank—and turn virtually any object in your home into a speaker using sound vibrations. Attach the Rock-It pod to a cardboard box, cooler, drawers, cups, lamp shades—you name it—then, plug the system into your music device, press play, and rock the night away. The system features a rechargeable lithium ion battery for up to 10 hours of playtime and has daisy chain capability: the more objects you connect, the louder the sound. Rock and roll is here to stay—but it doesn't have to stay put." $19.00
https://www.livingsocial.com/products/us/9942-rock-it-3-0



2. Do you have a wine lover on your list?  Here's a stocking stuffer for them.  

"Don't just rely on the luck of the draw when it comes to choosing wine for a party. Serve vino with this in-bottle wine aerator, and you'll be flush with better flavors. Made from hand-blown borosilicate glass, this gadget fits directly into any bottle and aerates the wine as it’s poured, expanding the aromatic profile of your Pinot Grigio and softening the tannins of your Shiraz. The SoireeHome accessory—the only wine accessory to have been endorsed by Zagat—includes a vacuum pump, which removes the air from an opened bottle, along with an aerator stand and travel case." $16.00
https://www.livingsocial.com/products/us/9938-soireehome-in-bottle-wine-aerator




3. Need some art work for your home?  Love the look of canvas prints?  Amazon Local has a deal for cheap canvas prints of your favorites photos.  Pricing varies on what size you would like, but a 16x20 is only $35!
http://local.amazon.com/boston-south-shore/B009T893SE?cid=td_&ref_=td_



4.  If you do a lot of online shopping, you really should sign up for ebates.com.  Especially with Christmas around the corner.  To use, go to their site, and then click on the store you want to shop.  It will bring you to their website and buy through that link instead.  You will make money back for each purchase!  and yes, this is true.  not a scam.  You will get a check in the mail 4 times a year.  Every little bit helps :)
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Y9gbg2ygAENsTT1iWsd%2FvQ%3D%3D



5.  For you moms out there, where do you get your diapers?  Why not try Diapers.com.  Free shipping, and right now a coupon code of 20%-OHBABY.  An easy way to get your needs without having to cart the baby out with you!
http://www.diapers.com/buy?freetext=sales


Monday, October 22, 2012

Menu Monday Oct 22nd-26th

3 new food magazines arrived at home this past week. So you know what that means?  It's new recipe time! Here is our week's plan with all the recipes as well  :)

Monday-Mix and Match Meatloaf combo from Food Network Magazine Nov. issue.  This recipe will come later since the recipe is decide as you go.
Tuesday-Penne with Vodka Sauce
Wednesday-Oven Fried Ranch Chicken
Thursday-Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
Friday-Steak Kabobs


Penne with Vodka Sauce

Ingredients 
Kosher salt
12 ounces whole-wheat penne
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vodka
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for topping
Directions
 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
 Empty the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
 Remove from the heat and stir in the vodka, tomatoes and salt to taste. Return the skillet to medium heat and simmer, stirring often, until the alcohol cooks off, about 7 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and basil. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season with salt. Serve topped with more parmesan and basil.

Oven Fried Ranch Chicken 

Ingredients 
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 Kosher salt
2 3-to-4-pound chickens,
each cut into 8 pieces
Cooking spray
 3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
 Freshly ground black pepper
 Directions
 Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, half of the thyme, 1 teaspoon paprika, the onion and garlic powders, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
 Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on each; coat the racks with cooking spray.
 Combine the breadcrumbs, chives, the remaining thyme and 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow bowl. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere.
 Put the white meat on one wire rack and the dark meat on the other rack, skin-side up. Coat the chicken with cooking spray. Transfer to the oven, placing the dark meat on the bottom oven rack; bake until the crust is golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees F, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly on the wire racks, 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch Lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
3. Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Beef Kabob Marinate

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin, or more to taste
 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
1. Whisk honey, soy sauce, chili sauce, cumin, and vegetable oil together in a bowl.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Flashback Friday

While looking through photos for today's post, I had a revelation.  Girls learn the stank face pretty early.  Here is the proof that stank face starts early in a girl's life.






Thursday, October 18, 2012

Things I Love Thursday

1.  I have super thick, super curly hair.  I have toyed with the idea of getting a Keratin treatment, but have yet to make the leap.  I saw the Organix Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner in Target and decided to try it.  It is fantastic!!  It loosens up my curls making blow drying about a 10 minute process instead of almost an hour!  I hardly even need to use a brush when I blow dry!  It's seriously a miracle.


2.  I needed a new frying pan/saute pan and went with the Green Pan at target.  BEST.THING.EVER.  Nothing sticks to it.  At.All.  Put an egg in it and you can run it all around the pan with no sticking like a commercial.  Every time I use it, I want to make out with it, because I love it that much.
3.  My new Glad Plug-ins.  These fall scents are so full of scent that the whole house smells like fall from just 2 of these litttle puppies.



4.  I swear Modern Family gets better with every episode.  Last night's episode was outstanding.  Love it!



5.  My Kindle is my BFF.  That is all.



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wacky Wednesday

After last night's debate, I deleted what I had ready for today because while the blog is called Housewife in Training, it was meant as a joke.  I will never be a "housewife".  It just doesn't do it for me.  So when Romney stated that he had binders filled with women and since we apparently need to be home in time to make dinner, I decided to post some of the best photos that popped up after the debate. I was rather impressed with how quickly people come up with these things.   For more fun you can check out http://bindersfullofwomen.tumblr.com/


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Thrifty Tuesday

1. Have you participated in a flash sale before?   If not, you need to!  Items are dirt cheap, and you get that  exciting feeling of "winning" it like ebay.  My favorite is With Your Heart Jewelry on Facebook.  They schedule at least one sale a week during an evening.  They post the photos of the item and you comment with SOLD and your email address to win.  All items are in limited quantities  so you need to be fast.  The jewelry is great and super on trend.  They take about a week to receive in the mail.  And this company donates to needy children with every purchase made.  A total WIN-WIN.
With Your Heart On Facebook














2.  Do you have an android phone?  If so, you need to download the Amazon App Store.  Everyday you get a free download to an app that you would normally pay for.  Sometimes you can get a pretty pricey app for $0!








3.  Need new towels?  How about this deal. 6 piece Spa Rayon from Bamboo Cotton for only $39!  I have these towels and they are phenomenal!!!
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-spa-bamboo-cotton-6pc-towel-set?c=all&p=15













4.  Need a new camera?  Check out these deals on Canon cameras, including a Rebel!
http://www.zulily.com/e/canon-101512.html?pos=9



















5.  We all need to be a little more green in our lives, so why not pack a lunch with these.  Cut back on the brown bags and plastic sandwich bags in these cool patterns that kids and parents will both like!
http://www.zulily.com/e/wrap-n-mat-101612.html?pos=16



Monday, October 15, 2012

Menu Monday-October 15th-19th

We sort of ran out of time this weekend to go grocery shopping, so this list is all tentative right now...

Monday-Take out, since we are both working late
Tuesday-Marinated Sirloin Strips
Wednesday-Chicken Mozambique
Thursday-Spicy Chicken and peas (I told you it almost always makes it on our menu every other week)
Friday-Hubby's secret recipe Sweet and spicy chicken wings

Below are the recipes for the recipes from this week, except Hubby's secret one, he will kill me if i give it out, and the Spicy Chicken and peas, since I just posted it in 2 weeks ago.  Its a pretty blah week.

What on your plate this week?

Marinate Sirloin Strips
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds steak
 DIRECTIONS:
 1. In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
 2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. 3. Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Chicken Mozambique
INGREDIENTS:
24 ounces of chicken
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbs. garlic chopped
4 Tbs. butter, no substitutions
2 packages Sazò n Goya-Con Azafrá (found in the Portuguese section of local supermarkets)
1 12-ounce can beer 4 ounces hot sauce, or to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
 DIRECTIONS:
 In a medium-sized pan, sauté chicken in two tablespoons of butter until cooked through.
 Remove from pan and set aside. Sauté onions and garlic with remaining two tablespoons of butter.
 Be careful not to allow the garlic to burn, as it will become very bitter.
 Deglaze the pan with the beer, and return the chicken to the pan. Add hot sauce and simmer for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer an additional minute. Serve over rice, pasta, or anything you like. We like ours with french fries. Garnish with parsley and lemon if desired.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Flashback Friday

Fridays will be a day to look back.  Whether it be products from my childhood or photos from some good times had by all.

Today is a picture post of some of my favorite girls.

First night living in Boston and away from home.  Those smiles are called Freedom. 


Crystal and Alison came from home to visit, and we went to Who's on First for the evening.

We worked for Disney's Beauty and The Beast broadway show while they toured and were in Boston.  SO FUN!!

At Unos.  This was our get dressed up and go out to eat place.  How sad is that??

my favorite picture EVER of Susan.  We had a snow day at school :)

we are IN the Christian Science Center pool in this picture.  This location has been made famous by many movies.  In the winter they empty it, so we jumped in for a snowball fight.

I wish this picture wasn't blurry, but cameras were that great at this point.  Senior Dinner at the President of EC house.  This was my mentor, and one of the funniest guys I know, Dan Darcy.

We stole our class banner and took it to the Bahamas for Spring Break.  It needed some sun.

It also needed some sand :)

Ready for an evening in the Bahamas!

Back from the Bahamas and off to celebrate St. Patty's Day in Boston

I love these ladies.