Boost Your Buzz, $1000 giveaway!

How does a cool $1,000 in your paypal account sound?!

Enter the Boost Your Buzz $1,000 Giveaway! One lucky person is going to win $1000 USD paid via Paypal! No joke. And remember, SOMEONE has to win- it might be you! (I would know, last fall it was me. *wink*)

Gain entries in this giveaway by following Adventures in Green Living on  GFC, twitter and facebook!

The giveaway starts April 1st 12 am EST until April 15th 11:59 pm EST and is open worldwide. $1,000 CASH prize will be delivered via paypal as soon as the winner’s entry has been verified.

Boost Your Buzz can be entered on Survey Junkie, Simply Stacie or Little Yaya’s (you only have to enter on one of the sites as the forms will be the same on each).

Good luck, have fun!

Menu Monday!

Belated, but made it! Actually had it done yesterday but spent time with my mom instead of blogging. Last week I had a menu but it was a bit of a disaster. We had so much stuff happen that we ended up eating out not once, not twice, not even three times. FOUR! Four times! That is pretty off the charts for us. And again, a testament to the rotten week it was. This week just has to be better. I demand it!

Monday
B: Oatmeal, raisins and walnuts, oranges or blueberries
L: Calzones with spinach and mushrooms, applesauce
D: Egg drop soup, apples and crackers

Tuesday
B: Eggs, toast, strawberries, cheese
L: Sausage Kale Soup, bread, apples or grapes
D: Pa Jun, grilled fruits? TBD

Wednesday
B: Chocolate chip banana pancakes, extra banana and bacon
L: Burritos with lettuce, tomato, cheese, apples and carrots
D: Dad's/Papa's!

Thursday
B: Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, oranges
L: Vegetable soup from the broth I'm going to make to use in a beef stew, bread and apples
D: Leftovers

Friday
B: Eggs, toast, strawberries, cheese
L: Alfredo pasta with salmon and peas, applesauce
D: Dinner with a friend!

A mostly simple week. Much needed. Still working on doing the bulk of my shopping Wednesdays as that is my local store's 10% off organics deal. It is really hard to switch gears from shopping on Mondays!

Wordless Wednesday- Dude, Where's My Car?

Where's my car, Dude?

Oh, it's right here!

Future heart-breaker!

Brazilian Feijoada recipe

While searching for recipes to use a hamhock, came across this gem on myrecipes.com. My husband lived in Brazil for a while so I thought I'd give it a try and surprise him!

Brazilian Feijoada

Ingredients

• 2  cups  dried black beans
• 4  slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 1  pound  boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 3  bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
• 3  cups  finely chopped onion (about 2 medium)
• 1 1/4  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (9-ounce) smoked ham hock
• 1  tablespoon  white vinegar
• 8  orange wedges

For the rest of the recipe, go HERE

I'll be honest, not a huge meat gal and this was a lot of meat. A little pricier dish than what I usually do, too! But the hubs loved it and said it was pretty close to perfect. Well, he really said it was perfect but I know it was a little off. For all of my culinary practice, I am not a good crockpot cook. Which may be in part due to the crappy crockpot we have(now had, thanks to my mom buying us a new one for our anniversary!). It always ran hot, even on low. Which makes for a lot of overcooked meat if you aren't super on the ball. Who is with kids?! Anyways, my only 'error' was upping the liquid to 2 1/2 cups. A straight 2 would have been better. And the meat counter was out of bone-in beef ribs so had to fudge with regular boneless ribs. Make sure those beans are in the liquid, too. They stay firm if not!

All in all, it's a good meal for the carnivorous sort. Won't be doing it often, but it's a nice treat for the hubs once in a while. Served with rice fried Brazilian style. Would be awesome with mango and avocado!

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry recipe

Not sure how I found this one amidst all of the recipes out there, but so glad I did! It is such a unique mix of ingredients(in my opinion) and you just can't go wrong with curry!

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  curry powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground coriander
• 1  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  pounds  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2  cups  vertically sliced onion
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
• 3/4  cup  canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2  cup  frozen green peas
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

For the rest go HERE

The big change I made due to reviewers' recommendations was to switch out the chicken stock for a can of light coconut milk. Yum! Didn't have coriander on hand so used a teaspoon of Rogan Josh from Penzey's Spices instead. Also no fresh ginger, just used a little ground. Then in the end I forgot the peas and lemon juice due to the chaos of unexpected guests(ha!). Still was pretty tasty. Might up some of the spices next time as I really, really love Indian spices. But for the kids' sakes I kept to the recipe this time until I knew how they'd come through. In another curry recipe it calls for a rotisserie chicken, bet that would be delicious in this one, too! (Served with basmati rice, wished we had naan and a mango!)

Happy eating!

Little One Books review and giveaway

My family will tell you I'm not a big collector of trinkets and things, but when it comes to books I have a weakness. We just can't have too many. It is one thing I make space for in our tiny home! And green though I may try to be, just not sold on the whole Kindle thing, yet. Reading is such a tactile experience. I like the feel of the pages, they way they smell, the vivid illustrations. There's a certain joy in pulling out an old book my parents read to me as a child- sharing that very same, well-loved book with my own children.

Today I'm excited to introduce you to a great company that believes in making the process of choosing a great book(or two, or three...) easier for parents, grandparents, caregivers, everyone and anyone: 

Joan McCoy and Barney Cohen are the people behind Little One Books. They started their web-based store specifically to carry quality media for children birth through age five. My own kidlets are currently 4 and under, so it's really nice not having to wade through material that isn't age appropriate for them. They've taken the guess work entirely out of it as the site is organized by age! Joan and Barney are grandparents to five grandchildren under the age of seven; which of course means they bring plenty of experience and test subjects to find the best media for their customers. 


What I think speaks volumes(pun intended) is that they have personally selected and reviewed every product you'll find in their store. Going a step further- they've created a "Why we chose" section for each product. In this area their staff goes into detail as to why they chose the product, a few highlights about it and what the little people in their lives loved. Yes, their products have also been reviewed by kids!

The "Why we chose" section of each product page is simply brilliant. It is so helpful when trying to determine what book(s) would be most enjoyed by you and your family. Because let's be honest, while we'd like to buy them all(Oh, I would!), we must pace ourselves! Little One Books generously offered me the choice of one book to review. I completely relied on "Why we chose" to help narrow down and ultimately decide which book to request.

So what did we get? Thunder-Boomer, by Shutta Crum!

I opted for this book for several reasons. One, we're in the Midwest and thunderstorm season is fast approaching! My oldest is just now starting to show fear in various things(bugs, the dark, etc) and I suspect a good thunderstorm may scare her a bit this year. My hope is that by reading this book together often, it will ease some of those fears. I also liked that it takes place on a farm as my grandpa's farm is one of her favorite places to visit. Really, what kid doesn't love a farm? Add in some gorgeous illustrations by Carol Thompson, lots of fun sound words and a little humor- you've got one fantastic book that everyone in the family enjoys!

She was so excited to read our 'special book' together!

Little Lady says, 'Thank You!' for her new favorite book(So does mom).

I've actually ordered from Little One Books in the past and can say it was a pleasant experience. Their customer service is personal and superb. You can tell how much everyone there cares about children and their need for access to wonderful books. When I'm looking to add to our collection, I know I can trust the products they've chosen. And it is SO easy to just pop out to their site and select whatever age group is needed! 

Right now they are having a special promotion just for Adventures in Green Living readers- 

Buy any two Little One Books, get the CD Good Morning, free! 

What a great way to start your family's day with some of the most wonderful classical music written. 

BUY

You can purchase your own copy of Thunder-Boomer, by Shutta Crum, for $16.00

WIN

Little One Books is giving one Adventures in Green Living reader a $20 gift certificate!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Little One Books and sign up for their newsletter(Top right- you will not get tons of emails, promise. I'm on it!)

'Like' them on facebook

You must do both and may leave a comment for each task(total of two)

Please leave your email in your comments for me to contact you should you win!

Extra Entries:

Follow Little One Books on twitter

Follow Adventures in Green Living on Facebook

That's it! 4 total entries possible(2 of those mandatory)

Open to US only. Closes April 1, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. I will contact the winner via email and post an annoucement on my blog after confirmation. Winner will need to respond to my email within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn. Good luck!

***I received product to aide in giving a fair and honest opinion of this company. I have received no additional compensation and all experiences and opinions are my own.***

Sticks and Stones...

There's a babble.com post floating around in the interwebz that has elicited a very strong response from hundreds of people. Summed up, this mom thinks she might love her son a little more than her daughter. At first thought, it seems so wrong, right? And why would any mom voice those thoughts in a public place? From the comments that flood her post, most readers reacted as though she said she dreamed about her daughter dying so as to leave her with just her son. She surely must be a despicable person.

But if you read this post I wrote almost 2 weeks ago, you probably know I have have a little different take on it. Because I've been there. And I'd like to think I'm not a despicable person.

Good Reads: Poultry Industry, NBA Players, Worm Bin

Poultry Industry Smother Immigrant Farmers and Abuses Antibiotics

I considered just posting the above link, because I feel it to be another extremely important read. The subject matter really is applicable to many things we consume today. Or in general, the way the majority of American Consumers have been trained to think. Cheap has a hidden cost. Whether it's in a lesser quality product or jobs sent overseas, it has a cost. What are you willing to pay?

Players Chip in to Save Coach's Life after Clippers Decline Medical Coverage

I'm not a sports person at all. But this is a good read.

How to Start a Worm Bin

We hope to get one of these up and running this year! When we do, I'll be sure to share the process with you. Anyone can do this regardless of space!

Spinach Black Bean Lasagna recipe

Apologies as I took no pictures(of any dish this week!) but still want to share the wonderful recipes we tried. The first up is this Spinach Black Bean Lasagna found on myrecipes.com.

Spinach Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1  (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 4  cups  (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
• 2  (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 9  precooked lasagna noodles
• Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Go HERE for the rest!

I used a slightly larger pan and had 4 noodles across, but then only ended up with two layers of noodles needed. There were only a couple of things I did a little different. One, didn't mix in the monterey jack cheese into the ricotta mixture. I just put it on top of the ricotta/spinach mixture and then on top of the whole thing(so two layers of the shredded cheese). Two, added a little garlic now. We sort of put garlic on everything! Three, had some mushrooms on hand so chopped those up and mixed into the pasta sauce This is a really easy dish that you can easily customize to your taste preferences!

Happy Belated Anniversary & Whoa! Two Date Nights in a Weekend Row!

The 4th of March was our 5th wedding anniversary. He's a good man. A while back I remember explaining to my friend(who was struggling at the time with her relationship) that I must have lucked out. Because I married my husband knowing his potential, not because he was perfect in our relationship at the time. We certainly had our rough moments in the beginning! The man never *actually* proposed to me. He's been threatened told gently that one should still be forthcoming.

You may have heard the story of how we met before, but I love to tell it again anyways.

My first memory of my husband is of him chasing me around a pear tree at his parents' house and me being exceedingly embarrassed at the attentions of a boy. I was around the age of 6; he was 8 or so. My mom and his mom sewed and canned together. One of his sisters has my exact birthday and we played together, too. We went to the same church and small town school but he readily admits, he didn't know it until he was a senior and I was a junior! It was a fairly typical setup. He was a kind of jock; I was a total nerd. After that pear tree incident, I spent the next 15+ years wishing he'd notice me again. But at the same time I spent a lot of energy trying to blend in at school to avoid being teased from (insert anything and everything kids tease about). So it wasn't really his fault. It wasn't until my senior year that I began to stretch my wings a bit and step out of the wallpaper.

We went on one date when I was 20ish. He never called me back! Apparently while I was intimidated by his hotness, he was a little intimidated by my perceived smarts and um, opinions. We hung out a couple times after and always had fun. But it never seemed to be anything more than friends. When he called me up around Valentine's Day '05 (after getting my number again from my mom, HA) and invited me to a movie, I thought why not? We are just friends! A couple of weeks later he informed me it was actually a date... I still remember the goofy, 'Yessss!' he exclaimed after our 'relationship talk'. Did I mention he turned out to be an even bigger nerd than I am?

February- started dating. November- engaged. March- married. We figured since we'd known each other so long, not much point in dragging things out! There was initially a 4 year plan before having kids. That I negotiated to 2 years. That became 4 months when I got knocked up. Funny how those things go!

So there's a little story of how our family began.

And yes, we've managed 2 date nights in a weekend row to celebrate our anniversary! Thanks in large part to having so much family nearby. My dad and stepmom had the kids the first weekend. We went to our local Science Center to visit the traveling Da Vinci exhibit and watch the Van Gogh Imax documentary. Then out to dinner. I thought I'd find the Da Vinci exhibit the most fascinating but ended up being more interested in the Van Gogh doc. If you find them available in your city, please go visit!

This past weekend my hub's parents watched the kids while we went to TRON at the Imax(mostly for the hubs but in truth, I loved it. Awesome way to see that movie!) and then out to dinner again. I should note, we just happened to have gift cards to both restaurants, the exhibit and one Imax show so all in all, it was a cheap extended anniversary celebration! We probably went out more in the past two weekends than we usually do in 3 months. A girl could get used to such fancy shenanigans...

5 years down, countless more to go. Love you, babe!