Posts by admin:
- Lightly seasoned
- Southwest
- Grilled
- Leave a comment letting me know which “Chicken” style intrigues you the most and what recipe you would make.
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 6 Tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh swiss chard leaves, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Day Trip into Philly with Babies
June 10th, 2013
Want to know what we did this weekend? It has been a bit since I shared a weekend since a lot of posts have been focused on reviews and giveaways. 🙂 We had debated going to New Jersey this weekend for a fun event but I decided it would be nice to have my husband plan on something that looked exciting to him for our whole family. I generally do not like to dictate what we are going to do during our weekends but I tend to ahead most of the time in order to have something planned.
This weekend Ryan found a free event at the Kimmel Center called Organ Day. Did you know that the largest concert hall organ is housed in the Kimmel Center? Yes. It was really fantastic.
We invited another family to join us on our adventure and boy was it an adventure. It was our family of four and the other family had three kids as well. We took the train into the city and walked a few blocks on Broad street to listen to some of the program. Here is what was going on that day:
It was hosted by Michael Barone
Noon: Official Start and Welcome
12:20pm: American Guild of Organists Members’ Recital
American Guild of Organists Members will present a variety of organ repertoire. The Recital will feature Tim Evers, Patrick Kreeger, Aaron Patterson, Clair Rozier, Kathleen Scheide and Leah Martin, and Parker Kitterman
2:30 – 3pm: Break
3pm – 4pm: Organ and Ensemble: Chamber Music
Experience exciting collaborations! During this hour the organ musicians are joined by a variety of ensemble musicians including strings and the New City Brass Ensemble.
4pm – 5pm: Opera and Organ: Featuring Opera Philadelphia
Opera Philadelphia will present a program of arias and ensembles in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the births of two operatic titans: Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) and Richard Wagner (1813-1883). The talented singers from Opera Philadelphia will perform selections highlighting both composers’ masterworks.
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We arrived at 2:15pm so we caught a bit of the recital. We then took advantage of the break and got something small to munch on and came back at 4pm for the Opera and Organ portion of the concert.
In the lobby of the hall was a French street organ playing that kept Julianne and other kids quite entranced.
This was featured as a come and go event but there were complaints from people that it was too much of a distraction. It was not QUITE a family-friendly event but we hoped with our kids being exposed to music that they would be good. There were a few issues, like a diaper blow-out and a fussy toddler who did not want to sleep but all in all it was a GREAT experience.
There was a flash mob singing experience as well. We knew about it but I unfortunately did not get a chance to bring my sheet music since I was holding a baby. I still stood up and sand “watermelon” and the the tune. I knew the tune and that is what counted. It was beautiful seeing people in the crowd sing “Va, pensiero” from Nabucco. Ryan was singing from the other end with Julianne in the Ergo carrier and I was singing or humming holding my 4 month old. Oh yes, it was real nice.
After the concert was over we walked for 15 minutes to Percy Street Restaurant known for their BBQ. Ryan heard about them on Guy Fieri’s Diner’s, Drive-ins, and Dives show so he called ahead and found out there was plenty of space for 4 adults and 5 kids. Whew!
We ordered the family-style experience with all the sides they have to offer. The only complaint is that the sides were small for 4 people. We had to ask for more. The meat sampler was ample though and we went home with chicken. The experience and food were delicious but by this time our kids were starting to melt down. I’m tired of having to eat so quickly as to prevent from having kids being needy. I guess it always happens at mealtimes right?
Ryan’s beer was so good too! I have kept it in mind for the next time. We took pecan pie to go and that was tasty too.
By the end of it we walked for 30 minutes to the train station with one baby in the Ergo and another in our stroller. Despite being so tired and cranky our toddler refused to sleep in her comfy stroller. Sigh. We finally got home at 10pm and we all zonked out. It was a fun yet tiring day but Ryan and I decided we were not going to let having 2 kids stop us from doing activities.
Don’t let it stop you either cause in the end I know we are exposing our kids to fun times.
Now how about baking some cookies to recover?
What did you do this weekend?
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Beyond Meat Review + Giveaway {Calling all Meat-Free Eaters!}
June 5th, 2013
Interested in trying a new “chicken” substitute made from plants? It has 18 grams of protein per serving and truly looks, tastes and chews like chicken!
I know there are a lot of meat substitutes out in the grocery stores but this one is different in that it is free of yucky stuff: cholesterol-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free, egg-free, GMO-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free and guilt free!
I like reading the company’s mission and what they have accomplished since 2009. Beyond Meat has created the first plant protein that looks, feels, tastes, and acts like meat without any of the bad ingredients.
Here is a sample of the ingredients in the Southwest Chicken:
Water, soy protein isolate*, pea protein isolate, amaranth, chicken flavor [vegan] (maltodextrin, yeast extract, salt, natural flavoring, sunflower oil), expeller-pressed canola oil*, soy fiber*, carrot fiber, contains 0.5% or less of: white vinegar, salt, lime juice concentrate, garlic, black pepper, chili powder, onion, sugar, cumin, coriander seed, sodium alginate, dipotassium phosphate, titanium dioxide (color), calcium sulfate, oregano, paprika, red and green pepper powder, cayenne pepper.
Who does not like trying new plant products that have great protein. There are many vegan and vegetarian products starting to use the pea protein isolate.
I had a chance to try all the company’s flavors:
I got to taste the grilled in several recipes and while I liked it, I could not eat it anymore because the soy protein affected the baby I am breastfeeding. I happened to confirm this with other soy products that are even GMO-free.
Even though I could not continue taste-testing the two other flavors I know they are tasty.
Imagine the countless of recipes you can try and sub for a plant protein? Check out Beyond Meat’s recipe section for ideas. I added the grilled “chicken” to pizza and it was tasty!
These products are currently available in Whole Foods but will be rolling out nationally in July.
Are there TWO people who want to try this? Do the following:
2. Leave your email address.
This is open to US readers.
Disclaimer: I received samples of the product to taste test. Opinions are completely my own and was given two coupons for free product to have people sample.
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I got my Sverve on, do you?
June 4th, 2013
Are you a mom blogger and looking to attract new readers and connect with brands and marketers? Then Sverve is the solution for you!
Sverve is like Pinterest where it allows you to pin ideas but it is all about building a PLATFORM. Since I spend a lot of my time sharing my content over Facebook and Twitter I have increased my chances of connecting with brands and marketers. Perfect!
When I signed up, I chose FIVE areas of expertise and then people give me credit by endorsing those areas that help build my score. Not only that, but I also have been able to discover great mom bloggers. There are SO many out there and they are an inspiration.
Once this score is built and continues being built through endorsement then campaigns become readily available. I have already become involved with two campaigns.
When you start signing up with campaigns there are opportunities to work in the form of reviews, giveaways, promotions, affiliate programs, and more!
Here is an example:
I receive $2 for every mom blogger that signs through my banners after adding your blog URL and areas of influence. It is a quick set-up so what are you waiting for?
Sign up NOW!
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Secret Recipe Club: Cheesy Quinoa Pilaf with Swiss Chard
June 3rd, 2013
I love being a part of The Secret Recipe Club cause every month I get to discover new recipes and new bloggers who like baking and cooking.
This past weekend we visited an area Farmer’s Market where I bought fresh green lettuce and swiss chard. OH my the swiss chard was gorgeous I simply had to buy it even though I did not know what I was going to do with it yet.
This month I was assigned to IlonasKitchen and one I learned is that she keeps as busy as I do! She loves to bake and workout and she features a lot of delicious and healthy recipes. It was REAL hard to choose between dessert or a main dish so I decided to feature a savory dish.
I decided to make her recipe for Cheesy Quinoa Pilaf with Spinach which totally called my name out cause anything with quinoa sells me. I knew that I was going to make this for myself because my husband does not like this grain. He thinks they look like little spaceships and he certainly does not like the flavor. 🙂
Did you know that quinoa is a complete protein and a super healthy for you. This is a SUPER quick and easy lunch or side dish that will sell ANYONE on this grain. I made my husband taste it and though he did not prefer it he said it tasted pretty good.
It tasted out of this world good!
Instead of the spinach I added the fresh swiss chard from the Farmer’s Market and I added red onion for more flavor. I cut the amount of cheese as well. Wow, this had SO much flavor and it tasted real gourmet.
Thanks IlonasKitchen for featuring a great recipe and I might end up making that Couscous with Swiss Chard, Raisins, chicken, and Feta this week. Yum!
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Cheesy Quinoa Pilaf with Swiss Chard
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (2 servings)
Instructions
Rinse the quinoa. Place quinoa in a medium pot and add 2 1/2 cups water. Boil for 20 minutes until the quinoa has popped or water has evaporated. Leave it on the side after cooking.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in the pine nuts, and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the red onions and garlic, and cook until the garlic and red onions softens, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the quinoa and swiss chard; cook and stir until the quinoa is hot, and the swiss chard has wilted. Stir in the lemon juice, and all but a pinch of the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Serve sprinkled with the remaining cheese.
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Polder’s Old World Market: Handmade Kitchen Utensils Giveaway
May 31st, 2013Love supporting family-owned businesses? This company has a beautiful Etsy shop you need to visit.
This absolutely gorgeous set of 4 handmade wooden kitchen spoons comes from Polder’s Old World Market. The Polder Family makes these gorgeous utensils from fallen hardwood trees on their farm in Northeast Tennessee. This lovely set is made from Wild Cherry wood and shined to perfection with olive oil. Completely natural, safe, and beautiful for your kitchen!
The set comes beautifully gift wrapped as a nice present for yourself or share the handmade love with a special someone.
Along with handmade wooden kitchen utensils, you’ll find Gardening, Home Furnishings, and even homemade candles in the Polder’s Old World Market on Etsy.
These utensils are made to be a safe and natural alternative to plastic cookware and are uniquely crafted to last a lifetime… or two!
To learn more about the Polder’s Old World Market and their handmade kitchen utensils, read a complete review on So Easy Being Green.
Polder’s Old World Market wants to giveaway the beautiful set pictured below!
This giveaway is open to US residents, 18+ only.
The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, June 16th, 2013.
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.
The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, June 16th, 2013.
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclosure: I received no compensation for sharing this post. The participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.
