Healthy Inexpensive Dinner

Although I am a fan of cooking from scratch there are times when I just don't feel like it. I'm either too busy, too tired or just am being lazy. I've realized that I can still cook in a fairly healthy manner even if I am not utilizing all farm fresh ingredients. I was provided with a giftcard and challenged by Walmart to make an inexpensive meal.  I must say I knocked it out of the ballpark!

One of my favorite go to dishes is pasta and not only can it be healthy but it is also inexpensive! For $1 per person, I'm able to feed a family of 6! I'm mostly vegetarian so I don't use meat sauce but I love Morningstar Meal Starters, the griller crumbles replace the meat in my sauce. I also am a long time fan of Ragu, I use the Chunky Garden vegetable - two servings of veggies in each serving! And finally, I use pasta. Inexpensive. All together the meal is $6.00! Sometimes I'll add a bagged salad and that will bring the total to about $1.25 a person. 

And the best part? I used angel hair pasta and it took less than 10 minutes for me to prepare! Inexpensive, quick and easy. Just my type of dinner! 


Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was provided with a giftcard to shop for the items and compensated for my time. 

Travel Snacks

Once again I'm traveling and inevitably I'll get hungry. There is something about the airport that makes me want to eat sweets so today I decided to pack my own snacks. 

Freshly popped popcorn and 3 of the chickpea chocolate chip cookies Mekhi made over the weekend. This should hold me over until I reach NY and with my portion controlled it is impossible for me to over indulge! 

Funny: Balls I mean Testicles

Scenario: My son is lounging in the family room. I'm on the couch and he sits in his chair. NAKED. Cause that is how he rolls. 


Mekhi approaches me on the couch pointing to himself.


Mekhi: Mommy, what is this? (pointing to his lower regions)
Me: Balls. ahem. I mean testicles. 
Mekhi: Testicles?
Me: Yes, testicles.
Mekhi: What are testicles for? 
Me: Blank Stare


after a beat


Me: Ask your father! 


He leaves the room and returns in his underwear. 

What a fighter!

I'd like for everybody to meet my pal Paradise. Isn't she pretty? You wouldn't think it to look at her, but this girl is one of the toughest fighters out there. And I don't mean the boxing ring kind! See, life keeps throwing knock-outs Paradise's way, but she keeps dancing around the ring instead! Paradise came to our attention when she was fighting kennel cough at a high-kill shelter. A cough at a place like that means a death sentence, but we squeaked her out just in time! After getting through that, she ended up with a very complicated spay. And then less than two weeks later, her sutures tore and she ended up being rushed to the vet for severe internal bleeding! She had to have blood transfusions just to save her life. That would be more than enough for most gals, but life wasn't through throwing punches at Paradise. Did you know that dogs can get sexually transmitted diseases? That was a new one even for the veteran rescuers here at LBR! But poor Paradise ended up with a "sexually transmitted venereal tumor" and had to go through five whole weeks of chemotherapy! But that Paradise is a tough cookie, and she came through with flying colors! Here she is, relieved at being declared cancer-free at last! All her caretakers at the clinic just loved her -- who wouldn't love a sweet, tough girl like this?! They all signed her bandana. Paradise says that she is DONE with all that yucky medical stuff, and she's ready to find her furever family! I know that they're just around the corner for her. She's earned it!

Russell Brand and HOP!

Me and EB (Russell Brand incarnate) 

photos courtesy of Chris and Kristen photography

I admit that the things I have had the opportunity to experience as a blogger have truly been a blessing. This particular career is not one that I would have ever imagined for myself but I love it tremendously, not necessarily for the monetary compensation (although when it comes, it is welcome) but also for the experiences that I have been afforded.

Last week I participated in a media junket for the new movie, HOP! This live action and animated art film has a great line up of actors including James Madsen and the voices of superstars Russell Brand, Hank Azaria and Hugh Laurie. I’ll give you my thoughts about the movie later this week but today, I have to share the “experience” that is Russell Brand. Russell is the voice of the rabbit, EB who is next in line to become the Easter Bunny in the movie. EB would prefer to be a drummer and runs into Fred (played by James Madsen) an out of work slacker with his own set of lofty goals.

Needless to say, although we only hear his voice, the comedic timing of Russell Brand is impeccable and in person, let’s just say this man is not only a charmer but he is funny as hell! When asked about the experience of acting alone in a sound booth without co-stars he said:

“They stuck me in a booth and just left me in there! I was lonely. There were some carrots. They said it would help with the character. I don’t like carrots. I could see better though.”

And we learned that the recording of his voice took place before the animation and live action portion of the film which enabled him to have creative license:

“They animate to your voice, so that’s good because you can change things and make decisions. They show a script and then I always change it because then I feel that I have more ownership of it and I feel that it’s funnier. As a comedian, you have to be funny. Otherwise, they will take your card.”’

Apparently he loves mommy bloggers and wished that we were there - “What we should have had is we should have packed that booth with Mommy bloggers to give me something to do and an audience to play to.”

Russell was truly a joy to interview, we literally laughed the entire time we had with him and he clearly loved us. As we departed he gave us each a kiss. That sealed the deal. If I didn’t love Russell before the interview I certainly did at the end!  

Disclosure: My hotel, flight and meals for the media junket were provided by Universal. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Adult Acne - my little secret

I have a little secret. Well, depending on the time of the month it isn’t really a secret. I’m talking about adult acne. My acne flares up when I am under stress (like now) and during my normal hormonal fluctuations every month. At the end of last year and early this year it started to get worse and I finally decided to do something about it early in March. The reason why I’ve been hesitant about treating my acne is because I use Retin-A. The results are wonderful but it is not an overnight process. Things get worse before they get better. And right now? Well, let’s just say things are NOT better. It will take me probably about 6 weeks total for the breaking out to stop.



And I have to admit that the poor dietary choices I’ve been making are not helping things along. I am extremely happy that I’ve been given the opportunity to try out the Olay Pro-X advanced cleaning system because the brush helps get rid of the pesky dry skin that occurs when I’m treating my acne. At $29.99 it is a good alternative to the more expensive models that run anywhere from $100-200 dollars. Here is my video so you can see the Pro-X in action.








Overall I have to say the Pro-X has been helpful in getting rid of the dry skin and removing my makeup. Yes, I continue to wear makeup, I know I shouldn’t but I just can’t take my face right now.  I’ll give you another report on the state of my skin a month from now. I figure by that time I’ll have my diet in check and my face will be acclimated to the medication. And in the meantime, if you are looking for a good cleansing system for your face and don’t have $100 to spare, you might like the Pro-X. I know that I do!

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and was provided with the Pro-X and compensated for my time to make the video. All opinions are my own and unfortunately, the acne is too!

Lady Carpenter

"Miss Connie Wade (Lady Carpenter) at work at the exhibition. The women greatly admired her handicrafts." Vintage Photopress photograph from the National Women's Institutions Handicrafts Exhibitions at the New Horticultural Hall, dated 10-11-1932. In honor of Women's History Month. Cheers My Dears, Marjorie

Take a hike!

Mom sure was tired yesterday! She went to this really fun event called "Take a Hike!" It was sponsored by a place called the Heard Museum, which is a natural science museum and wildlife preserve with lots of cool hiking trails. Every year they have this event, and they invite local charities in to come and help. In exchange for doing some advertising and providing a volunteer to work (that was Mom, ha ha!), they get a cut of the proceeds and can set up a table to advertise.

Aunt Amber and Aunt Rhonda look like they're having lots of fun, don't they? I'm told it was a little hot there...
LBR alums Cowboy (nka Tyson) and Allie thought so too! They came along with their mom to help show everyone what LBR's all about.


After she finished working for the day, Mom had fun on the hiking trails. Can you believe they have all this great space and wouldn't allow dogs to come? Hrmph! I promise I wouldn't chase the birds... much. :)

Oooooh, now THERE'S a bunny to chase! Maybe it's just as well Mom didn't take me.

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies -Cooking with my Son!

My son enjoys cooking with me in the kitchen. Since he is a picky eater, his participation in the preparation process increases the likelihood that he will actually eat the food we prepare. I know that he is a big fan of chocolate chip cookies (what kid isn’t?) so I decided to make a batch with him. My secret? Adding some ingredients that will provide increased nutritional value - chickpeas and oatmeal! Now my son will get both protein and fiber when he gobbles up the cookies.

He had a ball adding all of the ingredients and mixing. The last time I made these cookies on my own and he refused to eat them. I think the chickpeas and oatmeal (whole oats) added an unfamiliar texture so he didn’t like them. This time we did the final mixing in the Vitamix to ensure that they were ground up a bit more. Next time I plan on mixing them before adding them to the batter because it was difficult maintaining the texture I wanted for the batter and getting the chickpeas and oatmeal fairly smooth.

Our final step was to add the chocolate chips. 

We added an entire 12 ounce bag which makes the cookies especially gooey. I also thing the additional chips help to disguise the consistancy of the cookies. Mekhi enjoyed dropping the cookies onto the cookie sheet 

and waited patiently for them to cook.

Once they were done we allowed them to briefly cool and I served them up. He took one look and said, “these don’t look right”. Ha! I admit that these cookies do not have the smooth appearance of classic cookies but I’m willing to lose some visual appeal for the added nutrition. To detract from the appearance of the cookies, I broke one, showed him the gooey chewy chocolate and with one taste, he forget about how they looked.

His final verdict? “The cookies are scrumptious!” ( I am constantly amazed by what comes out of the mouth of my almost 4 year old!)

If you have a picky eater too you might want to give the recipe a try! 


Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield


Makes 24-26 cookies


* 1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
* 3/4 cup trans fat free soft tub margarine spread or butter (I used I can’t believe it’s not Butter!)
* 2 large egg whites
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 15oz/450g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
* 2 cups (12 ozs) semisweet chocolate chips (I used a mixture of white, milk and dark chips)
* 2 cups all purpose flour ( I used Jules Wheat Free/Gluten Free flour)
* 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (I used organic oats from my local farmers market)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt)


1. Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Line 2 baking trays with non stick parchment


2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites or egg and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.


3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing hte cookies about 1 inch apart. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 11-13 minutes, do not overbake. Leave on cookie sheet to cool and then transfer onto wire rack until completely cool. Do try one in the process of cooling as the gooey chocolate is wonderful in the cookie.


4. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.


If you like to spend time with your kids in the kitchen you should check out Clorox Cook Up a Mess contest. You can win a trip to NYC for four to New York just by uploading a photo of the mess your kids make in the kitchen. But get a move on it! The last day for submissions is March 29th! I also have to mention that Clorox Clean-Ups are a staple in my kitchen, especially since they kill germs from things like raw eggs (this came in handy when I was removing the yolk from my eggwhites!).


And if you’d like some kitchen inspiration check out the bottom of the Clorox facebook page there is a link to three attachments that include: ‘Messy Must-Haves, ‘Creative Messy Play’ and ’365 Days of Creativity’.


Disclosure: I was compensated for my time by The Motherhood for helping to spread the word about Clorox.

Pole Dancing for Jesus?

As you know, I enjoy fitness and I especially enjoy trying out new things. I'll do just about any exercise as long as I'm guaranteed to break a sweat and have fun. Pole Dancing for fitness is one of the things I've tried. It works the core and if done on a regular basis I know my body would be in wonderful shape. 


But today I saw a slightly different spin on pole dancing. Pole Dancing for Jesus. Check out the video and let me know what you think! 

Pole Dancing for Jesus: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown



Godspeed, Hubble. We miss you.

Smell mail!

Boy oh boy, Mom sure came home with some great smell mail yesterday! See, she went to a pet fair where LBR showcases some of our gorgeous adoptable boxers. (She can't bring me because everyone would want to adopt me, and that's not fair to the foster dogs.) It took me a long time to get through all the mail and sort out some pictures to show y'all.

First off, this handsome guy is Midas. Doesn't he have a great wrinkly face? And look at his HAIR! You wouldn't guess it from looking at him, but Midas was totally bald just a few months ago. He had mange, and unfortunately his owners had heard the myth that you should treat it with motor oil. Let's just say he did NOT look good. But his foster dad has him looking so handsome, he'll be out looking for his furever family soon.


Kayla is a very sweet old lady who liked snuggling with everyone who came by. Mom spent lots of time snuggling with her.


Look at this handsome guy! Gunner is so popular, I know he won't be here very long.


Heath makes everybody around him laugh with his "frog dog" pose. I guess the cold floor felt good after a long, hot day of pet fair.


Caliche is a pretty girl, but doesn't she know it's not polite to stick out your tongue at people who are trying to take your picture?


This pretty girl is Miss Diamond. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but this Diamond made friends with everybody!


And finally my buddy Friday, who kept everybody on their toes with her puppy antics. Who can blame her for wanting to play non-stop with all those fun other dogs around?


Good luck finding your furever homes soon, guys! I know you'll find one just as great as mine. (Well... almost. It won't have me in it, after all. :))

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are."
- Unknown

My buddy Hubble is facing some hard news. See, not long after Hubble came into LBR's care, his foster mom noticed his leg was swollen. They took him to the vet and found out that he had cancer. All boxers hate that word!! I've lost way too many friends to it. :( Hubble bounced back, though, and you'd never know he was sick from how he acted! He had a whole coterie of adoring fans who'd kiss all over him when he came out to events to visit. (Kind of like me, you know.)

Sadly, Hubble has taken a turn for the worse. His lymph nodes have started swelling again, which means he doesn't have much time left. But his wonderful foster mom will keep loving him until it's time for him to go on to the Rainbow Bridge, where he can run and play without that nasty c-word keeping him down.

We love you, Hubble! Stay strong!

PS -- Don't forget to help LBR celebrate 7 years of saving dogs! Go to www.savetheboxers.com/donate.php to donate just $7 for LBR's birthday. In 7 years, we've saved over 1700 dogs!!! Just think what we'll do in the next 7 years.

Happy anniversary, LBR!!

Happy anniversay to you!

Happy anniversary to yooou!

Happy anniversary, LBR!!

Happy anniversary to yooooooooooou!!!

Wow, it's a shame y'all can't hear me over the internet, because I'm a great singer. Especially when I howl that last note. :D

Anyway, today is a VERY special day. Seven years ago today, Legacy Boxer Rescue was started. Can you believe it? Seven years of saving amazing boxers like me, my sister Cinderella, and over 1700 other boxers. 1700!!! That's a whole bunch of wagging nubbies.

I was going to spend this post telling you about some of the success stories in LBR's history, but then today a story came up that made me want to tell you about the success stories of LBR's present and future.

Meet Mator!

This is Mator in the shelter, when we just called him BIN 11113. He's 10 years old and got sprayed by a skunk. His owner surrendered him because he was "too much trouble." Hah! All he needed was a good bath in tomato juice -- hence the name! -- to feel (and smell) all better.

But here's the success story. Mator's shelter was packed beyond full. Because owner-surrenders are the first to go when they need to make room (shelters don't have to hold them for a certain time like strays), he usually would've been walked straight to the euthanization room. :( But Mator had something very special on his side. He's a boxer! And his shelter knows that LBR will do everything in its power to help a boxer, no matter what age or condition they're in.

So because of the reputation LBR's hard-working volunteers built up over the last 7 years, Mator got to walk out the front door of his shelter and straight into his forever home!! Just like 1700 boxers before him, and many many many more after him!

So from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to Auntie Sharon, Auntie Lori, and Auntie Brandi, the amazing and wonderful volunteers who founded LBR 7 years ago. We all love you so much, and we're so grateful for what you started! Slobbery boxer kisses to all of you!

PS -- Want to give LBR a great birthday gift? Go to www.savetheboxers.com/donate.php to donate. Any amount will help! If everyone gives just $7 for LBR's 7th anniversary, that adds up to a WHOLE bunch of kibble and vet care for LBR dogs.

Okay, they're copycats, but they're also pretty cute. :) The Wasabi pups would like to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day. Don't overdose on green beer and wind up like this.

(Left to right, we have Tuna Roll, Maki, and Sake)

Erin go bragh!

My bonny sister Cinderella and I would like to wish everyone

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Healthy Cooking Class

A few weeks ago I had the honor of co-hosting a Healthy Meal Makeover Virtual Cooking Class on The Motherhood. I can't tell you how many great ideas and tips for healthy eating came out of the class. And because I'm sure many of you were unable to make it, here are a few of the great tips related to healthy snacks for kids:


Healthier kids’ snacks
 
It can be tough to convince kids to align with your healthier habits, but there are ways to work healthy eating into their diets.
 
“My 7 and 5 year old sons love food they can dip and spread. I make edamame hummus and eggplant dips that they love to put on pita chips or just dip carrots into,” said co-host Ilina Ewen, Dirt and Noise. “And don't underestimate a salad with every meal. I use spinach or arugula with a lemony vinaigrette or homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.”
 
“My younger daughter loves starchy white foods - pastas, breads, rice, crackers, etc.,” said Emily McKhann.  She increases the health factor by using “whole grain versions often.”
 
A few good healthy snack options for kids:
 
Popcorn trail mix: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/12/popcorn-trail-mix.html
 
Homemade granola bars: http://onceamonthmom.com/diet-oamm-nutrient-packed-breakfast-bars-healthy-recipe/
 

This is just a small excerpt from the class and you can find the entire transcript on The Motherhood
There are links to recipes for healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizer and even desert options. If you haven't had a chance to do it, I highly recommend checking it out! 




Disclosure: As a host of the show I was compensated for my time. 

Sporty, Stinky and Stained!

As long as I can remember Tide has been a part of my life. I am a huge fan of Tide Sport with Febreeze (it truly helps keep my stinky running and workout clothes fresh) and I use it for all my laundry, not just clothes I work out in. When I was contacted to be a brand ambassador for Tide Stain Release I immediately said yes because, duh, I use the product and know it works! Although I only use stain release occasionally, at $3.99 for a ten pak it is a great product to have around to help combat stains like blood, chocolate sauce (not for me, I mean really, me and chocolate syrup? I’m the fitness lover! Ha!), grass stains and things like soy sauce.  If you are anything like me I’m sure you are a skeptic but seeing is believing so here is a video I made to demonstrate the power of Tide Stain Release.

It worked amazingly well! And although I did not think it was appropriate for a video for all the world to see, I have to tell you that I used it to get some special stains out of a pair of undies after a long run when my “special” monthly friend visited and it worked like a charm! Still not convinced? Well, you can test it out too!

On March 28th  the Tide Stain Release Challenge goes live and fans can receive samples of the product and be entered to win giveaways which include:

Weekly giveaways of 1 year of Tide Stain Release and Laundry Detergent

and

Ten Grand Prizes: Washer & Dryer set given away at the end of the challenge!

Now I know you are asking, how do I participate?
There are three easy ways and each one earns its own entry. Fans can:

1. Visit the Tide Stain Release Challenge tab on Tide’s Facebook page and click the “Take the Challenge” button. The first 100,000 registered participants will get a free sample for themselves, as well as three extras to share with Facebook friends, so they too can take the Challenge. Any registrants thereafter will receive a coupon for Tide Stain Release  

2. Increase their odds by sharing feedback (good or bad) about Tide Stain Release on the Challenge page, once they’ve tried it. Here, there’s also a chance to have feedback included in a Tide Stain Release advertisement!

3. Increase their chances of winning even more by taking a poll about Tide Stain Release on the Challenge page.

For more information visit facebook.com/Tide and become a fan!

Disclosure: I am a Tide Ambassador and was material and/or payment for my participation. But all opinions are still 100% mine and I've been a loyal customer of Tide Sport since it has been on the market and it isn't part of this campaign. LOVE IT!

Best buds

This is Twiggy and her brother Styx. They were brought into the shelter together, and luckily we were able to get them into the same foster home.

It's hard having them together, because obviously they don't get along at all...

But somehow their foster mom perseveres! That's just the kind of hard-working, dedicated foster parents we have here at LBR.

I wonder if maybe we can find a furever home that wouldn't mind adopting two siblings who don't like each other very much.

Twiggy and Styx sure would like to stay together! If you're interested in twice the boxer fun, fill out an application today at www.savetheboxers.com!

Number One Son

When he was age two we took him to his first Chinese restaurant named "The Golden Dragon". After the meal, he enthusiastically proclaimed "Yum. This was so good, it must be dragon!" Ever since he has been intrigued by all things Asian. Always a curious and independent boy, his undergraduate engineering research project was designing and making a wave machine.

Soon after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he was off to the Far East, and has not looked back since. First there was a master's degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; this was followed by a stint on a Chinese research vessel in the South China Sea, and then a summer as a computer support engineer at a remote scientific base in Antarctica.

He currently resides in Shanghai, and works across Asia in the weather and water monitoring fields.

You may have guessed where I'm going with this. A few days ago, the telephone rang here at 4:30 in the morning. It was Mark. He spoke to my husband saying "Do Not let Mom turn on the television until I speak with you first!" He was, and is, in Tokyo, Japan. He had just gotten off a train, and was standing in a parking lot when the earth began to tremble. He went down on his knees until it ceased, and then walked 4 hours back to his hotel. He keeps emailing me that he is okay, but he fears most for some of his Japanese colleagues.

I pray for my brave boy, and all the brave sons, daughters, moms and dads of that beautiful country.

Please bring them all home safely,
Marjorie