SavortheThyme

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2011-08-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Have you joined us yet?

2011-05-09T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hi all,
Have you followed over to http://savoringthethyme.com yet? You are missing lots of awesome recipes, silliness, gorgeous food photos and overall fun!

Plus, there is a great Cookbook giveaway right now!

Come on over. You can also join the community on Facebook.

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2010-08-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,
I have moved so be sure to subscribe to the new feed at http://www.savoringthethyme.com/

And Away We Go!

2010-08-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I am excited to tell you that starting tomorrow, this domain will be redirecting you to the new domain of SavoringtheThyme.com !

I have been working on it with Barbara, owner of 'Kinetic Webs LLC' . This woman is smart and savvy so if you are looking for a web developer, this is the woman and company to hire.

I look forward to seeing you at SavoringtheThyme.com and thank you for your support.

Blogher - SOYJOY Brand Ambassador

2010-08-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am contacted by a company to work with them, I carefully consider the product line: Do I use it? Would I use it? Do I believe in it? These are important criteria as I want to feel proud to represent the company.

To that end, I am proud to announce that for this year's Blogher Conference, I am working with a company that I believe in: SOYJOY. Yes, I am a SOYJOY Brand Ambassador at the conference in NYC August 6th-8th. SOYJOY is a nutrition bar made with whole soy and real fruit and I think they are yummy. Imagine that, a bar made with real ingredients that tastes good and is good for you!

SOYJOY is especially excited about debuting their newest flavor. What is it? Head on over to the site and find out. I will share my thoughts on this new flavor during the conference so keep a look out for posts and tweets (hashtag #SOYJOY)

Also, educate yourself about Soy with this great summary.

*** Please come back tomorrow afternoon for a BIG surprise!***

The Family Kitchen on Babble.com & Holiday Bake Along

2010-07-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I realized that I had not shared some exciting news with you: I write a daily post for Babble's Family Kitchen blog. I have recapped my first 7 posts below.

-White Chocolate S'mores - yes, you read it correctly

-17 Staples for Healthy Meals

-Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta & Almonds

-Butter Recipes to Flavor your Food

-Kid Friendly Vegetable Lasagna

-Blueberry Pan Sauce is amazing on Turkey

- Freezer Staples

Also, you can find me sharing a tasty cookie recipe over on A Southern Fairytale as part of the Homemade Holiday Bake Along so come on over and enjoy Christmas in July gift ideas!

EatingWell Wednesday - Melon & Apple Granita

2010-07-14T03:28:00.001-07:00

Last week proved to be a scorcher here with 103F last Tuesday so I went to work making my first granita. What is a Granita you ask? It is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings however, the recipe I am making does not include added sugar.

The recipe for this Melon & Apple Granita used Apple Juice as a sweetener and it is exactly what we needed. Yes, making a granita requires a bit more effort that scooping out some sorbet but with the assistance of a timer, I had no issues staying on track.

The Thermador Steam Convection Oven

2010-07-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Now your “Steam” Cooking Blogger event with Thermador appliances. We stayed at the gorgeous Gainey Ranch Resort in Scottsdale, AZ and I ate so much that I am sure I put on 2 pounds. There is so much to tell you that I must break the trip into a number of posts. You saw the one from the first night already so I will move onto the Thermador kitchens and steam convection oven.

The day started with all of us being picked up in a large caravan of big SUV's. I joked that I felt like I was a part of the President's entourage. We were whisked to the amazing Thermador showroom and I could quickly see why it has won design awards.

The presentation of the appliance history was up first followed by an incredible breakfast spread.

The highlight of the breakfast the Buttermilk Pancake Syrup that I promise to share in a later post. It is so smooth and rich that you knew immediately that it was not good for you but that it will always be a part of your life.

We then moved on to seeing demonstrations on their gas cooktop ranges and induction cooktops in a myriad of amazing kitchens.

In the largest kitchens, we watched on the kitchen staff, lead by Chef Kyle, prep and finish a ton of tasty dishes that were cooked in the steam convection oven. However, I think that the biggest spectacle in the kitchen was all of the food bloggers as we tried to capture photos of the gorgeous food.

The employees are sincerely passionate about the Steam Oven and the entire Thermador line.

We then tried to fit more amazing food into our bellies for lunch before we went into the kitchen to get down the main feature: The Thermador Steam & Convection Oven, the luxury segment's first pre-programmed oven to combine steam, convection and a combination of the cooking modes.

Believe it or not, you can bake cakes, steam vegetables and fish, reheat (they reheated pizza and it blew the microwave away), slow cook, defrost and keep dishes warm.

Pros:

*Easy to use
*Heats up quickly

*Impressive appliance that now makes steam cooking more accesible to the culinary enthusiast

*Food stays moist on the inside and nicely finished on the outside

*Healthy cooking method - talk about vitamin retention and less usage of oils/fats

*Lowers risk of over cooking and drying out your food

*Faster cooking so I would think it equals less energy useage (but would need to find out)

*Thawing food is fast and beautiully done-no more brown meat on the outside and ice on the inside

*Pre-programmed food programs that will automatically set the oven temperature & humidity

*I want one....does that count as a pro?

Cons:

*Need to fill water chamber (every 2 hours or more depending on use)

*Clean water collection area everyday as no one wants water sitting in a moist environment.

*Price, then again, their clientele is not middle America

*Free Standing item that requires a trim kit purchase and installation

*Bursts of steam during cooking come out so taking a chance of a facial blast if too close but you probably know not to do that.

Currently, this oven is a small oven that needs to be installed in its' own free standing unit however, I would love to see it as a full size oven. It would need to be designed and installed to vent externally and be hooked up the home's cold water line. I could foresee it becoming a kind of flat screen TV phenomenon: where at first, the price meant it was only in the most affluent households at first but then the price lowered each year until it became a part of many American households. I will cross my fingers.

Perfectly steamed asparagus!

Disclosure: Travel, Food and Accommodations were paid for by Thermador.

Dinner at Maestro's Steak House with Thermador

2010-07-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

After a long flight and being amazed at the landscape on my way to the hotel, I was welcomed by the Thermador team that organized the “Now You’re (Steam) Cooking Blogger Adventure.”

I changed quickly and we were whisked off to at Mastros City Hall Steakhouse. We started with some fresh bread sticks and let me tell you, I was a happy camper when I spied the Kosher salt encrusted stick and I had to hold back from eating the entire thing.

A large black tiger shrimp was then offered with some cocktail sauce and atomic horseradish-fire alarms!

I then had a lovely chopped salad and knew I should not had eaten so much of it as my petite filet was coming.

Then in came the sizzling 450F plates with the filet mignon on them and I was eager to slice in. To accompany the steak, we were offered creamed spinach, sauteed mushrooms (amazing) and sauteed sugar snap peas.

The topper and highlight to the evening for me was the creme brulee. They must have folded in some ricotta or something similar because this was the fluffiest creme brulee I have ever experienced and the crust, oh, the candied-like crust was heavenly.

I ate too much and smiled as I drifted asleep.

*photos courtesy of carrotsncake*

Food we brought on Vacation

2010-07-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

What are some of your favorites to bring? Particularly when you drive?

Scottsdale & Thermador

2010-07-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

Today I am heading to Scottsdale, Arizona to preview Thermador’s new Steam and Convection Oven. This is the first big event that I have been invited to and I am looking forward to meeting some other great bloggers, doing some cooking and putting the appliances to the test.

Naturally, it will be over 100 there but it has been here in Rhode Island as well so with AZ having 'dry' heat, it should feel cooler there.

To get my day going, I had some coffee and oatmeal and plan on bringing a banana oatmeal bar with me. Now, I am getting ready to go and for extra baggage, I am carrying Mommy guilt on my back.

Summer Time 'Chicken' Burger

2010-07-06T06:10:00.001-07:00

How was everyone's July 4th weekend? Our was great but after all the beach, sun, burgers and hot dogs, I was drained and needed something easy and to use up some leftovers. So, I turned to my freezer and produce bin. I had an aging avocado, half a red pepper, some red onion, salad mix, 4 corn on the cob and some whole wheat hamburger rolls. And in my freezer, I had some BOCA chick'n patties so I went to work.

I first put water on the stove for the corn and then mashed the avocado. I tossed in some cilantro from our garden together and salt in with the avocado and mixed it well. I then heated the chick'n patty, assembled the remaining ingredients on the bun and was ready for dinner.

The buns I used were sent to me as part of the FoodBuzz featured publisher program as Nature's Pride is trying to overhaul their bread line. They are removing all the artificial flavors and preservatives and that I applaud.

1 Avocado, mashed
Cilantro, chopped
Salt, to taste
Red Pepper, cut into strips
Red Onion, slivers
Salad Mix
Boca chik'n patties
Whole Wheat hamburger rolls

Prepare the BOCA patties as directed on the box. Mash the avocado with the cilantro and salt and set aside. Prepare the red pepper and onion. Layer the avocado and other ingredients onto the bun and place patty atop.

**Join me tonight as I panel a BOCA twitter party along with a panel of experts as we discuss the joys of sensible living and summer grilling. RSVP http://bit.ly/bocagno **

No Bake Cheesecake & Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

2010-07-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Mid-week is about the time that I am ready for quick meals and in the summer, meals that require less time in front of a hot oven are definite winners. So when I asked to share these two recipes with you that were developed by Chef Kim of Daymon Worldwide, I first looked for how much time I would be spending at the stove. Ends up, none as one is no bake and one involves a grill which means more time outside.

Individual No Bake Cheesecakes
Yields 6
3 tbsp sugar
13 – 15 graham crackers
½ c butter, melted
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 oz crème fraîche
2/3 c sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 c heavy cream
1 c fresh mixed berries

Line the cups of a muffin tin with plastic wrap and set aside. Combine sugar and crackers in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped then add melted butter. Press into prepared muffin tins and put in freezer while preparing the filling.

Beat cream cheese, crème fraîche and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment. In a separate bowl beat heavy cream until still peaks form and fold into cream cheese mixture. Spoon a little into each crust and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, gently pull out cheesecakes from tin by pulling on the plastic wrap and carefully remove the plastic wrap from the crust. Top each cup with mixed berries of your choice and drizzle with confectioners’ sugar. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. You can toss the mixed berries with a little sugar to sweeten if needed.

One of the objectives with these recipes was to use store brands. I was able to do that except for the creme fraiche and when it came to chicken, I opted for the Nature's Promise line from Stop & Shop (also carried at Giant grocery stores).

Chicken Satay w/Peanut Sauce
Marinade:
1 c plain yogurt
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 min
Vegetable oil, for grilling

Peanut Sauce

1/4 c creamy peanut butter

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1/4 c coconut milk

1/4 c hot water

red chili flake to taste

1 clove crushed garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger

Combine yogurt, ginger, garlic and curry powder in shallow bowl. Add chicken strips to yogurt marinade and toss until well coated. Cover and let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hrs.

Weave the chicken strips onto the skewers down the center of the chicken so that it stays on during grilling. Grill the chicken satays over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes on each side until they are seared and cooked through.

To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and topped with chopped fresh cilantro; accompanied by the peanut sauce on the side.

*Daymon Worldwide is the private-label partner for many stores, including CVS, Cub, Kroger, Meijer, and Safeway. I was compensated for the ingredients needed to prepare the recipes.

The Fancy Food Show - NYC 2010 Part I

2010-07-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Last Year, I went to the Fancy Food Show and walked out shell-shocked as I had no idea how big it was. I quickly realized that there is a reason this event is three days and that you need to attend the entire three days if you want to go to most booths.

Therefore, because I only had one day, I looked at the entire list of exhibitors and decided to try to go to certain natural/organic or kids/snack focused booths. With that said, I also accepted that I would also be distracted (chocolate) and so just enjoy and stop where ever I want. Below are the booths I visited as well as some photos of displays. Part II will include photos with the bloggers I met.

Larabar
Lifeway
Steaz Tea
Herbal Water
RAAW Beverages

Pirate Booty
HINT Water
Effie's Homemade
Lake Champlain Chocolate
Olivia's Croutons

Danielle Chips
Glow Gluten Free
Corazonas Foods
Vermont Butter & Cheese

Colavita
Eden Foods
Cabot Cheese
Wholesome Sweeteners
Honest Teas

Moo Kids Chocolate
Sexy Gourmet Foods
Late July
StoneWall
Vosages Chocolate

Food Should Taste Good
Fontera Foods - Yes, Chef Rick Bayless has a line of foods now. I was hoping to catch him in person as I had met him at blogher last year (although he may have thought of me as a stalker had he recognized me). I was told I just missed him but a while later he walked by and made eye contact....I will assume he remembered me.
New England Naturals
Hodgens Mills
Somebody's Mother

Sweetleaf Stevia
Good Housekeeping
Dancing Deer
YogaVive Chips
479 Popcorn

EatingWell Wednesday - Tomato & Provolone Sandwich

2010-06-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

Continuing on my EatingWell recipe tomato obsession, I decided to the try the Tomato & Provolone Sandwich . My daughter is crazy for tomatoes and found shopping for this recipe particularly fun as we were looking to buy Heirloom aka 'Ugly' Tomatoes. This is a great sandwich for a refreshing kick on a summer afternoon.

What are your favorite types of Tomatoes?

By the way, when you pick up the August edition of EatingWell, flip to the Editor's Letter and see who has a cameo :)

Tastiest Blog Nominee 2010 - Social Luxe

2010-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to tell you that I am a 2010 BlogLuxe Award Nominee for Tastiest Blog. I appreciate all of your support everyday, truly enjoy sharing and communicating with everyone and am honored to have been nominated.

So, if you feel I am deserving of this award (two winners for each category will be announced at Blogher in August), you can vote once per day through July 12th. Thank You!

Be sure to look for your favorite blogs in each Category as well.

A Journal for Daddy

2010-06-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

My husband had to go away on business for week and we wanted to show him what we did while he was gone so we decided to make a picture journal.

We started by gathering supplies: Construction paper, our craft projects, a hole puncher, yarn, glue stick, scissors and markers. We then printed some image/photos on 3-hole paper (we had bought it by mistake) although you can print on plain 85. x 11 and use a hole puncher. We then placed the papers in chronological order and flipped them over.

We then cut three pieces of yarn, approximately 8 inches long. One by one, we looped them through each hole and tied them into a little bow. Dad was touched by our little story book.

Do you remember making books like these when you were little?

More photos are shown here the Whrrl Story 'A Welcome Home Book'

Rhoost Edge Review & Giveaway

2010-06-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I received a 4-pack of the Edge OM from Rhoost and MomSelect to review. Rhoost is a company with a line of stylish baby-proofing products. This product was of interest to me because I have not had any luck with any of the corner protectors on the craft table in our playroom.

You wouldn't think that I need them with a 4 and 6 year old but you would be wrong. Watch the video for my reasons and thoughts on the product.

Guess what?! Rhoost is giving away a 4 pack of the Sling Hub to one lucky reader:
To enter, become a Facebook Fan and leave a comment on the fan page telling me about your biggest child proofing challenge.

Get 5 Extra entries (Did you enter above? You must do that first then leave a comment for each entry to count (yes, five times) AND be sure I have a way to contact you)

*Subscribe Via Email to Savor the Thyme (The sign-up is in the right hand column and you must activate your email subscription)

*Follow Savor the Thyme and Rhoosting on Twitter

*Tweet about this giveaway (you can do this daily but be sure to leave the tweet link url in one of the comments): 'Giveaway - Child Safety Sling cabinet lock from @Rhoosting & @savorthethyme http://alturl.com/xest"

*Post about this giveaway on your Facebook wall. Leave the url of the wall post in your first of five comments.

The giveaway is for U.S. residents only and is open until midnight, Friday July 9th. The winner will be chosen using Random.org.

By the way, you can vote for this blog for the Tastiest Blog everyday until July 12th-Thank You!

Power Packed Foods - Strawberries

2010-06-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

There are certain superfoods that you know are very good for you but you (or the children) just do not enjoy in their natural form. Take strawberries for example, my daughter loves to eat them directly off the ground but my son will not however, he does like them. How do I know? He loves Strawberry yogurt.

Other ways to enjoy them:

*Muffins: One of our favorite snacks around here are my Strawberry Muffins. In addition, I have incorporated other fruits such as Kiwi.

*Pancakes: How about serving up a batch of Oatmeal Pancakes with some fresh Strawberry puree on top or even mixing puree into the batter to make pink pancakes?

* Make some strawberry popsicles or even real ice cream.

* How about making some healthy smoothies or shakes?

*And for a real treat, how about strawberries dipped into real chocolate or caramel ? I have never heard of anyone complain about eating strawberries then!

What others ways would you incorporate Strawberries?

EatingWell Wednesday - Tomato & Corn Pie

2010-06-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

This weeks' EatingWell Wednesday will be different because I am starting off with some big news: Savor the Thyme is featured in the August issue of EatingWell! Right there in the middle of the Editor's Letter. I am greatly appreciative of the mention and an honored to be in this magazine.

When the issue arrived, I flipped right to the Editors page (page 8) and after reading the article, knew right away that the next recipe I would be trying out was the Tomato-Corn Pie. I just finished making it for dinner tonight and must say that this pie is fantastic. However, next time I make it, I will double the recipe so that the pie is thicker as it was only about a 1/2 inch thick.

The only thing I did differently in this attempt was to mix the sharp cheddar with some reduced fat cheddar. Oh, and if you do not enjoy thyme, try basil. I bet it would be awesome.

Since my mom was here and she loved making pie crusts, she took that part on but if you prefer to skip that step, find a quality pie crust at the grocery store.

Mr. & Mrs. Food Face

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Aren't these fantasic? I have to get Mr. & Ms. Food Face into my OpenSky Shop!

Summer Picnic Salad

2010-06-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight we will attend the annual 'Summer Pops in the Park' and I wanted to bring a light salad to nibble.

What other vegetables or herbs from the farmer's market or your garden would you include?

1/2 pound, farfalle pasta, bioled, drianed and cooled
2 vine variety tomaotes, chopped
1 yelloow zucchini, diced
1 scallion, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped or torn
1 handful fresh basil, chopped or torn
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients, toss with vinegar and oil. Season with salt & pepper to taste

Basil Vinaigrette

2010-06-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

You may recall the basil pesto that I made recently but I had not shared with you what else I did with that pesto. Yes, you can freeze some and use some as a spread but you can also use it in a vinaigrette.

I grabbed a few teaspoons, placed then into a mini-processor, added a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar and pulsed it until it was well emulsified. Smart eh? You can then add more vinegar, oil and mustard until it is the consistency and flavor you desire.

What else could you use pesto to make?

A Year to Savor the Thyme Tip #19 : Eating Flowers

2010-06-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

We had just been talking about edible flowers (not that I am in the habit of eating them) and we found a salad mix with flowers at a Farmer's Market. My daughter wanted to try it and she went for it. Keep an open mind and introduce kids (and yourself) to new food experiences.

By the way, I called it 'Marigold' in the video but it was actually 'Nasturium' that she ate.

Basil & Almond Pesto

2010-06-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Naturally, my Basil fest could only go so far without a pesto so here is my version of a classic.

1-2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup raw almond slices

1/4 asiago cheese, grated

1 clove of garlic

1/3 cup olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper

Place basil leaves, almonds, cheese and garlic in a mini-processor (or full sized) and pulse until finely chopped. Then pour a little olive oil at a time into the top of the mini-processor and pulse as it streams in until the mixture is emulsified.

I love to use pesto as a spread on sandwiches or on pasta. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week OR freeze in ice cube trays and then place into a freezer bag.

Asparagus & Edamame Saute'

2010-06-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

The kids and I and picked up some fresh asparagus but wanted to try a new flavor profile so I decided to toss in some thawed edamame. Knowing that my son often favors vegetables in their raw state, I did not think he would go for this the way he did.

This recipe was a hit for all four of us.

2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
1/2 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill or 1/4 teaspoon dried
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and edamame and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sex & The City 2 Soundtrack - Win a Call from Sarah Jessica Parker!

2010-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

When you think of or hear of Sex and the City, you think of great friends, fun and laughs right? Well, I do and have been looking forward to the movie (released May 27th) for two years so when I was offered a copy* of the Sex and the City 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (released May 25th) to review, I said 'yes.

Songs:
1. I expected that the new soundtrack would start off with a fun and upbeat dance tune and I was not disappointed. The remake of Blondie’s ‘Rapture’ by Alicia Keys makes me smile, dance and feel full of energy. I have played this song numerous times a day and it is now a part of the positive energy in my house and the kids love joining in the fun. In fact, I have so much fun with this song that I feel the need to have a night out with the ladies at a dance club. Listen for the reference to ‘Big.

2. The next song is ‘Everything to Lose’ by Dido. This song starts off with Dido’s ethereal sounding voice followed by an upbeat tempo that becomes faster. One thing I appreciate about Dido’s voice is that you can understand each word she sings. I envision this song being remixed into a club mix.

3. Cee-Lo sings ‘Language of Love’ starts off with a ethnic sounding chant. It is not as upbeat as the first two but makes me feel happy.

4. ‘Window Seat’ by Erykah Badu slows things down a bit with this sexy and soulful song. I can picture a nice dance with my husband after a great dinner. This woman’s voice is so smooth.

5. Kidda was already a song that I loved from a club CD I listen too, so finding this song on the CD was a great surprise. Because I had seen the ads for the movie, I knew they spend some time in the desert so I started envisioning the ladies and all of the adventures they would have. This I another song that motivates me and is a bit sexy. I love it.

6. Continuing on the Arabian theme, comes ‘Euphrates Dream’ by Michael McGregor. Another fun and thumping song. I love hearing music from other countries as it is refreshing to be exposed to other culture's music in such a mainstream way.

7. Now, is when the album begins to take a turn for me. My first reaction was ‘What?!’. Yes, a remake of Singles Ladies by Liza Minnelli. Now, I have honestly never really listened to much of her music and this reinforces why. Next…

8.We go back to a fun song titled ‘Can’t Touch It’ by Ricki-Lee. The song makes you want to put on some stilettos OR gives you the energy to mop. I say go with the stilettos.

9. The next track is ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Alicia Keys, which is a very popular song but is not one of my favorites. However, it does seem fitting for this movie though.

10. The album then gives you it’s first taste of more a romantic and slow tempo'd direction with ‘Love is your color’ by Jennifer Hudson and Liona Lewis. A lovely ballad with two lovely voices.

11. Before sticking to its’ slower direction, a rendition of ‘I am woman’ sneaks in and is sung by the four stars of the movie, SJP, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. I can only imagine this scene in the movie. It is quite alright.

12. There are then three song, all remakes, sung by the ‘Sex and the City men’s Choir'. I had no idea this group existed and assume it was assembled for the movie. All three songs signal a throw back to the 40’s and 50’s. The songs are very smooth and romantic but I am growing tired of remakes on the album.

13. Continuing along the 40’s genre and remakes is ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ which is fine and sung well but I am tired of the remakes.

14. A ballad with Ms. Minnelli and Billy Stritch which is fine but not my cup of tea as they say.

15. The final song is ‘Divas and Dunes’ which is gentle and short but seems unnecessary. Overall, this album is one that I am glad to own however, I think I will only be playing the first half but, maybe I will appreciate the rest if the soundtrack more once I see the movie.

If you want to grab yourself a copy, head over to Amazon.com. You can also 'Like' the Facebook Fan Page.

p.s. You can win a call from Sarah Jessica Parker!

*CD provided by One2One Network.

Lisa Leonard Designs are ‘Bliss’ & Giveaway

2010-06-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I attended the Blissdom Conference as part of the Tastemaker Challenge. Upon check-in, we received a gift bag and in that bag was a gorgeous and sweet necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs . The necklace had the word “bliss’ stamped into it along side a fresh water pearl that hung on a silver ball chain. As soon as I saw this chain, I pictured my children and husband and how fortunate I am.

I also envisioned how excited my daughter would be when she saw this necklace, and somehow I knew we would be sharing it. I was also happy to receive this necklace because I was aware of Lisa Leonard Designs but I had never seen any pieces in person. I am now a true fan!

And guess what? A few days ago, I was tweeting about my love of the necklace and she offered this amazing gift to my readers: Tweet the message below and you are entered to win!

'Win $75 towards custom jewelry with @lisaleonard by retweeting this message and following her on Twitter http://alturl.com/wshu '

By the way, you can order some great items for Father's Day! Giveaway ends Tuesday, June 8th at midnight EST.

EatingWell Wednesday - Cream Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2010-06-02T06:05:00.001-07:00

I found some organic (Nature's Promise) chicken breasts and as you all know, I have plenty of Basil so what to do? I typed in basil and chicken breasts at EatingWell.com and decided to go with Cream Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts.

To be honest, I was not sure how much it appealed to me but knowing we enjoy each ingredient on it's own made me think this would be good. Boy, I was wrong as it was not good, it was great!

Have you ever stuffed chicken breasts?

Making Strawberry Muffins with A Potato Masher - No Joke

2010-06-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

My kids ask me to make Strawberry Muffins constantly so I am always using my potato masher to make the muffins, as well as for mashed potatoes. You can order one from my OpenSky shop.

What else would you use the masher for?

Substituting Ingredients - A Book Review

2010-05-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

I was asked to review Substituting Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein, was eager to do so as I know that I sometimes find myself scrambling on the Internet to find substitutes and waste time trying to find a good site for the information. Now, I have a companion in the kitchen.

In her Introduction, Ms. Epstein reminds us of the all too common scenarios:
Rushing to make a quick and last minute meal (most nights right?) to find you are missing a key ingredients or when you find a great sounding recipe but know you cannot get all of the ingredients. Well, here is a book to help you out!

Chapters Include:
Substituting Ingredients A to Z:
1. The best feature of this section is that it is not simply a list of substitutions but also gives you other information such as, when you substitute chervil for anise, you need to use twice the amount.
2. Equivalents are sprinkled throughout this section contain great bits of knowledge such as, 1 pint berries = approx. 2 cups or 1 slice = ¼ to 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
3. Recipes are provided for Cajun Seasoning, Chili Powder and more.

Herbs and Spices at a Glance: This section is a concise section of only herbs and spices and is a quick six page reference but I am not sure why that is done as all of the herbs and species were listed in the large A to Z section.

Measurement Equivalents:
1. This section includes commonly used equivalents in cooking and baking including dry and wet measurement (¾ cups equals 12 tablespoons), metric and temperature equivalents.
2. Baking Pan Sizes can be extremely useful when you do not have the exact shapes or sizes that a recipe calls. Ms. Epstein does issue the reminder to adjust baking times when switching pan sizes.

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late: Remedies for Common Kitchen Disasters: This section includes cleaver tricks to help rescue you from ‘disasters’ when most of us would just toss the items. For the most part, they are quite useful but a few are a bit silly. Did you know that if you add to much alcohol to a punch or drink, you can float cucumber slices in it to absorb the taste? I guess that means, you will still get dizzy quickly but not know it is coming.

Household Formulas: This is a great resource as it can help you avoid nasty chemicals cleaners and save you money by using items you probably have at home.
1. Many of the formulas use vinegar, Borax, baking soda. I know all of these are readily available but have not tried any of the formulas yet. However, I do use an at home formula to clean windows that uses vinegar at it is amazing.

2. It did stop me in my tracks when I found a formula to clean black lacquer cleanser. Does anyone still have that furniture? If so, take it to the dump immediately and go shopping. Another outdated items was the Deodorant of rubbing baking soda under your armpits. If that does work, we all need to stop buying the conventional deodorants. Have any of you tried it? Does it work?

In summary, I love the concept of this book as it remind people to have fun in the kitchen and to use what you have and not panic. Also, when you substitute an ingredient, you often end up with new recipes and new flavor profiles

I think this book would be an excellent resource to have in your kitchen at home and would be a great (and affordable) gift.

Jamie Oliver & Disney Family Revolution Giveaway

2010-05-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Back in March and April , the show 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution' took the country by storm and I was thrilled to see the reaction. Whether you liked and agreed with everything he had to say, it was an eye-opener (and hopefully game changer) for Americans and food.

Luckily, Disney Family.com has recognized the importance of eating and living healthy, and wanted to provide tips and advice on slashing sugar, cooking light, healthy recipes and more. That’s why they partnered with Jamie Oliver on brand new site content focused on living better and living well. The site features recipes and tips from Jamie that address how families can rediscover ways to cook simple, delicious and affordable meals. In addition, if you missed any of the episodes of Food Revolution, you can watch them on the site.

This gift pack is provided by Disney Family.com

To celebrate the partnership, I am giving away a gift pack that includes Jamie Oliver’s book 'Jamie’s Food Revolution', Family.com branded over mitts and apron, a cutting board and bowl set. I am looking forward to another household having Jamie's book and hopefully incorporating some of the ideas and recipes into their family meal time.

To enter:
Please leave a comment on this post telling me 'how you encourage your family to make healthy decisions when it comes to food, or let me know a recent, positive lifestyle change you’ve made'.

For 5 bonus entries each (only valid after answering question above):
*‘Like' the Savor the Thyme Facebook Fan Page and leave me comment on the fan page AND on this post telling me you 'liked' the fan page.

*Subscribe to my Newsletter via Facebook and leave a comment that you subscribed.

*Tweet the following (you can tweet everyday for 5 pts. each day!) : 'We are celebrating Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution with a giveaway via @savorthethyme http://alturl.com/a3jg ' (Be sure to leave the tweet ID in a comment on this post.)

This contest ends June 4th at midnight EST

EatingWell Wednesday - Basking in Basil

2010-05-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Each year when we starting getting basil (and cilantro but that is another post) we end up with so much that we start wondering what to do with all of it. So, I went on a hunt for some great ideas from Eating Well Magazine in addition to some ideas of my own.

*Pesto - Think outside the box with my Roasted Yellow Tomato Pesto

*PBT (Portobello, Basil & Tomato Sandwich)

*Marinara Sauce and you can freeze them in small and large batches. The handiest tool to use when making an amesome marinara is a hand-held blender. You can then control the texture of the sauce and do not need to transfer to a blender.

*Roasted Corn with Basil-Shallot Vinaigrette

*A Caprese Salad

*Basil-Cinnamon Peaches

Wordless Wednesday - Mechanical Bull Ride

2010-05-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Stonyfield Luncheon at EVOO

2010-05-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the most glorious day: amazing weather, grandma with kids, a luncheon with amazing food bloggers AND the CEO of Stonyfield and then coming home to an amazing family and home. Since I have so much to share with you in regards to the luncheon, I am going to start first with the food at EVOO. Being that the lunch was with Stonyfield, the chef incorporated their yogurt into the dishes.

While chatting and waiting for the actual starter course, we munched on a bread course with a EVOO, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese (one of my favorite ways to start any meal)

Photo courtesy of HealthyandSane

Starters
Asparagus, Peas, Fiddleheads, Radish and Arugula with Great Hill Blue Cheese, Herbed Yogurt Dressing and Course Crumb Crunch.

OR

New Jersey Asparagus Soup with Parmigiano Reggiano, Red Chili Flakes and EVOO.

I chose the soup and my goodness, it was amazing. They pureed it perfectly as it still had some great texture and small pieces of asparagus. I think they need to add garlic in the description as I am now able to ward off vampires..while smiling ear to ear thanks to this soup.

Mains
Seared Atlantic Golden Tilefish with Organic Potatoes, Fiddleheads, Wild Ramps, Cilantro, Curried Potato Broth and Minted Carrot Salad

OR

Seared Misty Knoll Farms Chicken Breast with Red Fire Farm's Spring Dug Parsnip Manicotti, Shaved Fennel, Orange Segments, Arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano, Garlicky Chicken Jus and Hazelnut Crunch

OR

Chinese Box Full of Crisp Fried Mustard Glazed Tofu, Asparagus, Gingered Vegetable - Cashew Salad and Organic Brown Rice

I chose the tilefish as I have been wanting to it for a long time and it was well worth the wait. I am one who prefers a lighter texture and flavor in my fish and this fits the bill. The fish was cooked perfectly and no single flavor over powered the other. The chef Incorporated the yogurt into the minted carrot salad

Dessert
Stonyfield Organic Yogurt with Balsamic - Basil Glazed Strawberries

All I can say is that I am going to do my best to replicate this dessert. When the chef came out, I asked him about the topping, assuming it was made with the Yogurt. However, I was surprised that it was the tart where he Incorporated the yogurt not the topping. This tart was truly amazing and the perfect consistency.

Chopped Pasta Salad

2010-05-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

If you recall, I hosted Rhode Island's Food Blogger Bake Sale back in April at The Pizza Place Restaurant. Not only are the people at the restaurant top notch but their Chopped Pasta Salad is a Legend in these parts.

In fact, the simple addition of Ditalini makes it a salad that my son is crazy about and he does not voluntarily eat mushroom and tomatoes. Now the recipe usually calls for Gorgonzola cheese but I use Feta. Scrumptious!

The photo was shot before I added the turkey bacon.

Organic Romaine Lettuce

Red Onion, sliced thinly

Tomato, chopped

Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped

Feta, chopped

Chicken, cooked and diced

Bacon, crispy and chopped

Ditalini pasta, cooked

Prepare all ingredients, toss well with balsamic dressing of your choice.

The Biggest Loser Finale & Twitter Party

2010-05-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am sure that everyone in America knows that we have a major obesity epidemic that has even reached young children (I an sure that processed food is a part of it!). Many Americans are also big fans of the show Biggest Loser. Well, The Biggest Loser has teamed up with Subway for a special challenge they have going on that will come to fruition during the finale Tuesday, May 25th from 8-10pm EST.

During the finale Shay Sorrells (@ShayBL on Twitter) will be weighing in. Do you remember Shay from Season 8? Shay was the biggest girl to ever enter the Biggest Loser campus and last season she shed 172 lbs. She didn’t win, but she inspired America and had a great deal more to lose, so Subway gave her a special challenge. For every pound she loses in between last season finale and this Tuesday night, Subway will match it with $1,000. So if she loses 100 lbs. she will take home $100,000. How much do you think she can lose?

Myself (@savorthethyme), along with others in the health/fitness niche will be panelists (@bookieboo is hosting) of a Twitter party during the Season finale. Be to join us for a lively chat and some fantastic giveaways, including an interview with Shay & Jared and Subway gift cards.

Come visit the invitation post and RSVP and hope to see you there! #GOSHAY

Can you say 'Kumato' & A Caprese Salad

2010-05-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Kumato? I am honestly not sure if you pronounce it KumAto or Kumato but I can tell you they are fabulous. If you love tomatoes, imagine a brownish variation that is a bit sweeter (meaning more fructose).

When I first saw them, I thought 'Great, another genetically modified food' so before I bought them, I went to the website and it appears they were reading my mind: "Are Kumato® tomatoes genetically modified products? Not at all! Kumato® is the outstanding result of tireless efforts to apply traditional plant breeding techniques and natural cultivation methods." So, it appears they have been created with genetics involved but not in a lab.

What are your thoughts on the Kumato?

Kumato Caprese Salad
1 Kumato, sliced
A few slices of Low fat Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar or Syrup

Prepare the kumato, mozzarella and basil. Layer them and then drizzle with evoo and balsamic vinegar/syrup.

Wordless Wednesday - Nesting and Stacking Blocks

2010-05-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

EatingWell Wednesday - Spring Chicken & Barley Soup

2010-05-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

Do you often find yourself with some leftover chicken and with one of the following scenarios:
1. Not enough for everyone?
2. You do not want the chicken as is?

Well, here is a great way to use up that leftover chicken (or non-leftover) called Spring Chicken & Barley Soup from EatingWell magazine. I honestly think the best thing about this recipe is the garnishes. The orange and basil make this soup stand out. I strongly recommend you add a good amount of it to the entire pot at the end. Feel free to put some fresh when you serve it.

Mushroom & Basil Crostini with Garlic & Cheese Spread

2010-05-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

*I have a gorgeous photo to share but blogger keeps flipping is on its side! Dimensions exactly same as other photos * suggestions?

Last week I was planning to make a lovely crostini for our monthly Moms Night Out however, company came by and I did not get to the store to buy the bread. Therefore, I picked up the bread yesterday and made these amazingly tasty crostini for the family.

Knowing that my son, sometimes enjoys mushrooms (mushroom soup), I knew he may end up grimacing but I was wiling to risk it. These are super easy to make as you can saute the mushrooms while the bread is in the oven.

Thymely Tip: Remember, that simply because someone/kids do not enjoy a food in one form, does not mean they would not enjoy the flavor profile in another (raw versus sauteed)

Mushroom & Basil Crostini with Garlic & Cheese Spread
makes two dozen

2 Ciabatta Olive Oil Bread Stix (found at stop & shop)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
8 0z fresh mushrooms of your choice (I used baby portobello), finely chopped
1 tub of light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese
Fresh Basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice the bread into 1/2 inch pieces. Because they were already made with olive oil, salt and pepper, I was able to skip this step.

Toast the bread for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 6 minutes, stirring often.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Spread a 1/2 teaspoon of cheese spread onto the bread, a dollop of mushrooms and top with some basil.

We found that we did not need to use any seasoning as the cheese spread is salty enough.

A Year to Savor the Thyme #18 - My First Grocery Haul

2010-05-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Creamy Greek Yogurt Dip

2010-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Most of us love dips right? Whether it is for Vegetables or a Protein, we Americans love dips and kids are no exception. My son loves dipping his carrots in hummus but I thought I would see if I could persuade him to try something else. I knew I had a little Greek yogurt left and from there I experimented. This would also be yummy with sour cream.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs and citrus juices to find your favorite combo. What are some of your favorite foods to dip?

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
1/2 small clove of Garlic, minced
1/3 scallion, minced
A few leaves of Cilantro, minced
Ground Pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and enjoy.

EatingWell Wednesday - Sugar Snap Pea and Shrimp Curry

2010-05-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

I love when you have a dish that is so wonderful that you can mix it with Brown Rice and get away with it. That is the case with EatingWell's Sugar Snap Pea and Shrimp Curry recipe.

The only changes I made were:
1. I used plain curry and then added some Hot Madras Curry Powder onto my husband's serving.

2. Used less than 1/4 cup lemon juice

3. I also tossed some chopped parsley on when I served it.

Can you tell my son (who swears he does not like shrimp) liked it?
Photo left: Just put some in his mouth
Photo right: This was his reaction when I wanted to have my bowl back.

A Year to Savor the Thyme - Tip # 17 Lemon Zest

2010-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Making use of an entire lemon. This is a great way to add flavor to butters, marinades, dressings and to any side dish. In addition, I love to place some lemon peel onto a freshly glazed bundt cake or as a garnish to any plate.

What do you use citrus peel or zest on/for?

Family, Friends & The Hand Drying Song

2010-05-10T07:18:00.001-07:00

So many children, so many reasons to use the Kleenex Hand Towels. Here is an example of a video you can submit for 25 bonus entries for the $50 Gift Card Giveaway:

The 2010 Dirty Dozen List - Which Organic Foods to purchase

2010-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Dirty Dozen for 2010 has been released and varies from last year's. In fact, Celery is now on the top of the list so I am happy I have buying this one as an organic for a while.

First up, a reminder of what the dirty dozen is all about: These are foods that are recommended to buy organic because even after washing, the pesticides remain. You may wish to either memorize or print list and take it with you to the store so that you are sure to spend a bit extra on these foods and spend less on the foods not on this list.

Photo courtesy of MeetaK

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

Remember, the most affordable option is to grow your own fruits and vegetables. There is also the added benefit of knowing exactly what is put onto your foods. Also, to find out why these items are on the list, refer to this article by Yahoo Green.

Wordless Wednesday - Making Sandwiches with Melissa & Doug

2010-05-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, a few words. We bought this two years ago and still play with it. The kids learn about food, being creative and love watching us 'eat' the sandwiches. That is why I am proud to carry it in my OpenSky Shop.

Cold Cereals that The Kids Love

2010-05-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Many of us know that preparing a home cooked breakfast each morning does not always happen so we need some quality cold cereal's to count on. Now, many of you know that I am a big label reader so I have a few criteria for cereals: I look for acceptable sugar levels, the quality of ingredients and whether there are vitamins and minerals provided. Although many cold cereals are not the best nutrition you can choose for a breakfast, the cereals below are some of our favorites that I am not ashamed to serve.

Kashi: You can not go wrong with any of Kashi cereals really but these are the kids absolute favorites: Mighty Bites & Honey Sunshine.

Mighty Bites: My children call it the 'little people' cereal. They are quite affordable and I find them at Shaw's or Trader Joe's. These little guys are mighty indeed as they are packed with tons of vitamins & minerals!

Honey Sunshine: These are referred to as 'little pillows' in our house and I must admit, they are my little snack when no one is looking and I am craving some crunch and sweetness.

Cascadian Farms: The newest in their line of Organic cereals is Fruit O's. They state that their foods are 'grown without synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically engineered ingredients'. And no artificial flavors or preservatives. The O's contain 25% DV of Iron, Niacin, Vit. B6 and Folic Acid. The other vitamins & mineral levels are also impressive.

Mom's Best Naturals: Now, I was actually planning on writing these folks to see if I could get some samples when they wrote me asking if they could send some to me. In fact, they sent me two full boxes. I had been interested in trying them as they promised no artificial 'junk' and had a great price point. So, why do I like these? They are made with whole grain wheat and rice, no artificial ingredients, no added hydrogenated oils and no high fructose corn syrup. They taste great and I found them at a generous 'family size' box at Walmart for a great price. I do not have anything negative to say about the two options I tried so these are staying on our list of cold cereals that I will buy. I am planning on trying their oatmeals next.

Toasted Cinnamon Squares

Oat and Honey Blend

Kleenex Hand Towels, The Hand Drying Song & a $50 Gift Card

2010-05-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Contest is closed

Recently we celebrated my daughter’s 6th birthday with a party at our house and naturally it was a rainy day. That meant that there were 12 children and all of the parents in our house so this was the perfect opportunity to use a box of Kleenex Hand Towels.

What are Kleenex Hand Towels? They are a fresh clean towel that pop-ups from a nicely designed box that you display in your bathroom or even on the kitchen counter top. What I appreciate is that the sheets are free of inks, dyes and fragrances. When I was young, my mom always put out a nice pile of napkins on the bathroom sink when guests were coming. These napkins always had some nice little colorful design on them but these are a better option. They are also sturdy so I have taught my children that after washing, they can wipe the sink as there always seems to be water on the edges or on the counter.

Normally, we have a hand towel hung in the bathroom and with four of us in the house, it usually lasts a two days or so before I switch it out. If I really think about it, most kids (never mind the adults) do not even bother washing the recommended length of time with soap so we really are sharing germs aren’t we? Yuck! And that is why I am Kleenex Song Ambassador as part of a campaign with The Motherhood and Kleenex. While researching about hand towel useage, I was startled by the CDC facts about hand cleaning, drying and germs.

*Did you know that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends drying Hands with a single-use towel to help prevent the spread of germs? That’s right, they state that drying of hands with a reusable cloth towels is not recommended and should be avoided.

*The CDC also wants us to know that despite our perception, hand drying is just as important as proper hand washing and that even if a hand towel is not visibly dirty it doesn't mean that it is in fact clean. There are even more hand drying facts here.

Not only were these perfect during the birthday party but I think they are perfect when we have guests over, we have an open house or when there are sick people in the house!

Oh, I bet you are dying to know about the Hand Drying Song mentioned in the post title right? Oh, I just love it and so do the kids (trust me, I will post a video and show you)! Kleenex wants you to enjoy this song as part of teaching your children proper hygiene (washing and drying) and have it be fun. Take a listen and sing along:

My hands are gonna be clean

When I wash and I dry with mommy and sing

This song that's exactly two clean hands long

Warm water and soap and bubbles that shine

A Kleenex Hand Towel that's mine all mine

And a song that's exactly two clean hands long

No yucky old towel's gonna ruin my day

I dry my hands the Kleenex towel way

So if you're a fan of clean hands too

Roll up your sleeves and I'll sing with you.

To encourage even more excitement for the Kleenex Hand Towels and the Hand-Drying Song, we are having a contest for a $50 ServiceMaster Gift Card (good for use at Merry Maids. Trugreen and more).

TO ENTER (Please be sure that I have some way of emailing you!): US residents only
*Leave a comment telling me what else you do at home to help prevent the spread of germs.*

Additional Entries: Choose one or all
For 25 bonus entries:
*Make a video of your family either singing the song while washing your hands or listening to the song while you wash your hands. The video needs to be posted on one of the following: The Motherhood Hand Drying Circle OR SavortheThyme YouTube Channel and I need a comment with a link to the video on this post.

For 10 bonus entries each:
*Join The Motherhood's Hand Drying Song Circle and leave a comment on this post AND The Motherhood Circle.

*Post photo/s of your family using the towels on The Motherhood Hand Drying Circle containing a link to this contest/post AND leave a comment here letting me know you posted the photos.

For 5 bonus entries each:
*‘Like' the Savor the Thyme Facebook Fan Page and leave me comment on the fan page AND on this post.

*Subscribe to my Newsletter via Facebook and leave a comment that you subscribed.

*Tweet the following (once everyday for 5 pt each day!) : 'We are singing the Kleenex Hand Drying Song & Entered to win a $50 Gift Card via @savorthethyme http://bit.ly/dazvLf #KleenexSong' then leave the tweet ID in a comment on this post.

This contest ends May 15th

**Disclosure: This is a compensated promotion with TheMotherhood.com and Kleenex**

Bison Sliders

2010-04-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, a family member gave me some fun kitchen items and one of them was a mini-burger/slider pan. I knew the the kids would go crazy for the mini versions so I took out the ground Bison and went to work. Naturally, you do not need a special pan. Simply fire up the grill or oven and make some mini-burgers.

Ingredients (Yields: 5 servings (2 burgers per person)):
1 lb. ground bison/buffalo
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup minced green peppers
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon chives, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup sweet pepper strips
20 slices cheddar cheese
1 cup baby spinach
10 Mini whole wheat rolls

Instructions:
1. Preheat the grill to medium.

2. Combine the ground meat with the garlic powder, green peppers, chives, salt, and ground pepper. Mix well and form 10 small patties (about 1.5 generous tablespoons each)

3. Place the burgers on the grill (medium) and cook 2-4 minutes depending on thickness of burger and desired doneness.

4. Flip the burger and cook another 2-4 minutes, topping with the cheddar for the last 30 seconds.

5. Place onto bottom bun, top with sweet peppers, spinach and upper bun.

The Bread Art Project: Grain Foods Foundation & Share Our Strength

2010-04-28T03:08:00.000-07:00

Last week I was honored to attend The Bread Art Event Co-Hosted by the Grain Foods Foundation and Share Our Strength. I found out about the event via the Mom Bloggers Club (created by the brilliant Jennifer James) and knew that the combination of Share Our Strength (SOS) & Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian was something that could not be missed.

I had never heard of the Grain Foods Foundation (a joint venture of members from the baking and milling industries) whose goal is to educate the country about the beneficial role grain-based foods play in a healthful diet. One way they do this and help raise money for Share Our Strength, is through the Bread Art Project.

How does this work? You create a price of 'bread art' and the Grain Foods Foundation donates $1 to SOS up to $100,000 so get started! You can 'create' through June 30th, 2010.

Now, onto the event itself: Let me say that I already rooted for Melissa d'Arabian when she was a contestant on The Next Food Network Star, enjoyed her show Ten Dollar Dinners, loved her after I interviewed her but now, I adore her! She first told us about why helping to end childhood hunger is so personal to her and how the bread art project and the grains foundation are helping to end it in this country. She shared her struggles about not having enough to eat as a child and how she worked in the school cafeteria to earn her the credit towards the school lunch program.

Afterwards, she spent time, real time, talking to each of the attendees while we enjoyed the recipes she created featuring whole grains. We spoke about GPS systems and driving in Seattle and Boston.

left to right: Emily Mckhann of The Motherhood, myself, NYCityMama, Jennifer Perillo and Rachel Ferrucci

Speaking of recipes, one of my favorites was her BLT Tartlettes however, I would use a whole wheat bread. Be sure to try this as I just know that kids would love them!

BLT Tartlets
Recipe developed by Melissa d’Arabian for the Grain Foods Foundation
8 slices white bread
3 T light cream cheese, softened
1 T light mayonnaise
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried oregano
2 medium tomatoes, chopped and lightly salted
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
¾ cup red or green leaf lettuce, chiffonade (roll and cut into ribbon-like strips)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for drizzling

Heat oven to 375°. Remove crusts from bread and, using a large spoon, gently press the slices
of bread down flat until thin and almost doughy. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Place the
slices in the muffin tin, pressing them into the muffin shape, to create a tartlet shell. Bake for 12-
13 minutes, or until golden and crusty.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, use a fork to mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, mayonnaise and
oregano with salt and pepper until smooth and creamy.

Once the bread is golden, remove the shells and place them on a cooling rack to assemble. To
make the tartlets, place a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on the bottom, followed by the
bacon, tomatoes and the lettuce. Top with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Yield: 4 servings (2 tartlets per serving)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Strawberry Mice - Getting kids to eat Fruit at a Birthday Party

2010-04-27T06:07:00.001-07:00

This past weekend including a birthday party for my daughter and in addition to the fruit and vegetable platter which kids would probably overlook, I wanted to give them something irresistible. It came in the form of eating mice. What you say? Yup, I wanted the kids to eat mice.

The idea came from Family Fun however, I modified it and used some items we already had. The eyes were mini-chocolate chips and the nose was some icing I had used on the kitty-cat birthday cake. Instead of running out to get some strings of licorice, I simply made some 'tails' on the plate behind each mouse. The kids went nuts for them and even though I thought someone would pull the almond slices out, they were too enthralled with popping a mouse in their mouth than paying attention to the fact that the ears were almonds.

A step by step pictorial here on Whrrl

Sweet Potato Wrap

2010-04-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

I first created this wrap about 4 years ago and for some reason, I have not made it in a very long time. Since we love sweet potato wedges in this house as well as salad, feta and balsamic vinegar, I usually have all the requirements for this wrap.

I promise you that these are a huge hit when having friends over for a casual gathering.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Wedges (room temperature or cold)
Feta cheese (reduced fat)
Lettuce (I prefer Romaine)
Balsamic Glaze (make a bunch and store or can buy from a restaurant)
Whole Wheat wrap

Instructions:
Place all items into the center of the tortilla, wrap tightly and enjoy.

Baked Tortilla Chips: Salt, Chili-Lime & Garlic-Cayenne

2010-04-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had bought 2 packs of Whole Wheat tortillas because they were on sale as a Buy 1 Get 1. After having quesadillas one night, I had a choice to make: freeze the other package or use them in a recipe. I decided that it would be fun to make our own baked tortilla chips and have some fun with the kids while experimenting with flavors.

We made three flavors: Salt only, lime-chili and a cayenne-garlic. We started by cutting the tortillas into 8 wedges, spraying them with Pam Olive Oil Spray and then baking them until crispy. The kids loved being able to shake all the seasonings on the chips (minus the cayenne) and then pick their favorite flavor.

I was a bit concerned that we would regret using the Whole Wheat tortillas and wishing we had saved this experiment for Corn Tortillas but we truly enjoyed the flavor and texture.

Ingredients (Salt):
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Pam Olive Oil
Coarse or Sea Salt

Ingredients (Chili-Lime):
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Pam Olive Oil
Coarse or Sea Salt
True Lime - 1 packet
Chili Powder

Ingredients (Garlic-Cayenne):
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Pam Olive Oil
Coarse or Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Ground Cayenne

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

2. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

3. Combine the seasonings (I did not measure them out so have fun with it) in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Spray the wedges with Olive Oil spray and dust with the seasoning mixture. Flip the wedges over and repeat.

5. Bake for 7 minutes, flip the wedges over and bake another 7 minutes. You can probably skip flipping them over and simply rotate the pan if you prefer.

Earth Day Series: Sprig Toys

2010-04-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! I do hope you are able to get outside today. So, I wanted to tell you about Sprig Toys. It all began at the Type-A Mom conference last September where these smiley people were displaying some cute eco-friendly toys. I sauntered over to the table, spent some time talking to them, touching the toys and envisioning how excited the kids would be to see these. Then they sent me home with Rex Jungle the dinosaur and two of the guides.

The kid were crazy about these toys and I think you will be as well. So, why talk about Sprig on Earth Day? Well, these toys required no batteries (yes, that means kid-powered toys), earth-friendly materials and paint-free.

I bet you are wondering What are they made of? They are a bio-composite made from recycled plastics (usually polypropylene) and reclaimed wood. The company tries to incorporate wood so they can use less plastic.

Now, you are thinking, Why are there no facial features? After noting that so many toys recalls were due to lead paint issues, they decided to leave the faces plain. At first, I thought the kids would be bothered by this and although, they did notice and ask why the faces were blank, they were happy with my reply 'so you can use your imagination'. This way, little people/guides can be happy or sad or grouchy. My kids are currently being taught by daddy to roll their eyes (why must he?) so I expect to hear that the sprig people are as well.

This company goes eco-friendly beyond the toy itself: The packaging is minimal (no annoying ties and plastic clam shells) and is made from recycled materials. In addition, the product boxes are printed with soy or water based inks as well as their product brochures that are printed on FSC certified paper with high recycled content. And finally, they are even recyclers to the max in their corporate offices and some even bike to work. Speaking of their offices and great people, feel free to reach out to the company via Twitter @kimatsprig

We have a great time playing with the Dolphin Boat Explorer in the tub and next up for us this spring will be to order The trucks!

In addition, I wanted to share that another favorite imagination inspiring toy: our Wooden Blocks. Although they are not made of reclaimed wood, we have used them for three years now and I expect we will for three more. I feel good about that because, it is one less plastic toy being tossed into a land-fill at the end of a few months.

**Enter to win an Earth Day EcoSmart T-shirt from Hanes**

Earth Day Series: Envirosax Bags

2010-04-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about little things that one can do to contribute in a positive way to the environment and wanted to share one way that our family helps to reduce plastic waste.

I discovered the website Delight.com about two years ago and bought the 'Today's Delight'. The item was the Envirosax Reusable Grocery Bags. I use these bags every time I go to the grocery store and trust me, they can take some serious weight.

One feature that I enjoy about these bags are that I can tie the handles together when it is raining and yet still get them on my arm when I unload the car.

The other important feature is that I can toss them into the washer to keep them from getting covered with bacteria. I simply hang them on a door handle to dry.

Do you own reusable bags? Do you use them for other tasks besides grocery shopping?

Earth Day Series: Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables

2010-04-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

Do you focus on including more seasonal and local Fruits and Vegetables in your diet? Why should you and how does that benefit the environment? So glad you asked.

Buying local and seasonal foods helps reduces pollution and gasoline use as there is no need to ship the food across the country. In addition, your money goes to the farmers in your community and your family gets fresher fruits and vegetables.

Personally, we enjoy the fruits and vegetables that each new seasons brings as it encourages us to keep variety in our diet and honestly, don't you look forward to switching it up after a while? We are also excited to be starting our garden any day now.

Below is a great map from Epicurious that tells you what is fresh in your state any given month.

What are some of your favorites Fruits and Vegetables?

Earth Day Series: 'The New Green Kitchen'

2010-04-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended a Webinar hosted by Jackie Newgent, Author of 'Big Green Cookbook'. She shared tips from her new book, including her Top 10 tips for giving your Cooking a 'Greenover':

#1: Select smart Skillets that are PFOA-free and recycled aluminum pans. She recommended Scanpans*: They are non-stick, you can sear, brown and deglaze in them and use any utensils you wish.

#2: Practice eco-cooking techniques such as, placing a lid on a pot and turning the burner off once the water is boiling. Ms. Newgent says this will boil the pasta and reduce energy use.

#3: Think at your sink. Meaning, reduce your water usage

#4: Take advantage of residual value: She suggests you can do some light baking or reheating in an oven after you turn it off, say after roasting an item.

#5: Love your small appliances as they use less energy. When is the last time you thought about using your toaster oven?

#6: Use Energy Star certified big appliances.

#7: Serve Earth-style meals by using fewer bowls and considering prepping and serving in one bowl. Less washing.

#8: Be waste friendly by composting.

#9: Green size-it: Make vegetables the main and largest component of your late and consume less meat.

#10: Enjoy Ecotarian Cuisine by enjoying a diet based on local, fresh, sustainable food and is more plant based. Local = less distance = less gasoline.

What are some tips you can share regarding 'greening' your cooking?
*Attendees are being sent a pan so I will test out these claims in my kitchen.

Celebrating Earth Day Series - Hanes EcoSmart & Arbor Day Foundation

2010-04-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

What an exciting week this is because we will be enjoying some great Earth Day celebrations next week, family coming to visit, my daughter's birthday and lots of parties. To celebrate Earth Day, I am going to bring you some great posts for a week, starting off with this one about Hanes.

Our family loves Hanes: From my husbands drawers stocked with their undershirts, to their Tees that I use for layering, to the tagless undies that are my daughters favorites, we are always well-stocked. So, I was thrilled to learn about some steps that Hanes is making to make their products more eco-friendly and contribute to Earth Day by teaming up with the Arbor Day Foundation.

A. How is Hanes working towards being more Eco-friendly? First of all, they have launched Hanes Green (I have sure you have seen some of the news commercials) to share what they are working towards:

*At the end of 2009, approximately 30% of the energy we used came from clean, renewable sources

*Since 2007, our energy efficiency programs have reduced the amount of energy we use to make our products by 11 percent.

*In 2010, we were named an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year

*They currently have 3 LEED certifications and have applied for four more.

*Their CO2 emissions feel 41% for some divisions and thy have reduced they water use per product by 18%.

*Most exciting to me is their current release of the EcoSmart textiles that are made of recycled plastic and other end textile end products that are normally throw away.

B. Partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation From April 1 - May 15, 2010, when you purchase three Hanes products, you will receive a free Earth Day t-shirt with proof of purchase through mail-in redemption. For every t-shirt redeemed, Hanes will make a $1 donation to the Arbor Day Foundation. For every $1 of Hanes donations, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree, up to 20,000 on Hanes' behalf.

Wait, you want to try to win an Earth T-shirt?
To enter: Leave a comment telling me 'What Earth friendly or 'green' practices do you use at home, work or on the road?'

Additional Entries (Null if entry above not completed): These are optional however, you must leave a comment for each one separately.

1. Join the Savor the Thyme Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment with your FB name

2. Follow @savorthethyme on Twitter.

3. Post this on Twitter (can do every day if you wish but need separate comment for each entry) 'Celebrating Earth Day with @savorthethyme & @hanescomfort Giveaway! http://bit.ly/aMwg9s

4. Subscribe to the Savor the Thyme RSS feed (on the right sidebar).

An Evening of Glamour with e.l.f.

2010-04-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I hosted an evening with many purposes: To spend time with my friends while educating them about Crayons for Cancer and to indulge in long-overdue pampering with an e.l.f Makeup At Home Party. I remember when e.l.f cosmetics first came out many years ago as everything was $1. Since then, they have released two more lines, the Studio and Minerals lines and I was thrilled to share some of the products with my friend.

We started with bare faces and some tried some color they do not usually indulged in as others went all out glam. My daughter also enjoyed some of the shimmery colors and watching all the moms putting on the makeup.

Naturally, there was some great food and wine and I will be posting the recipes for a refreshing Apple Slaw and the best Egg Salad ever created (I swear).

At the end of the evening, each of the women brought home a beauty bag with brushes and some of their favorite e.l.f products. In addition, we packed up some products for one of the moms to send to her sister in-law who is defending our country in Afghanistan.

See the entire Whrrl story for more fun!

Interview with Claire Robinson from Food Network's 5-ingredient Fix

2010-04-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was able to interview Claire Robinson from the ‘5-ingredient fix’ on The Food Network. I love watching her cook because she is so personable and I find that I am smiling the entire show as I can see how much fun she is having and how passionate she is about the food she cooks. I also appreciate the minimalism yet flavorful recipes because, as a mom, there is not often time for complex recipes.

Some of the exciting news she shared during this interview was the she is the new host of ‘Food Network Challenge’ (season started April 4th). In addition, her book 5 Ingredient Fix, is being released on October 27th.

We started by bonding over her 'Spiked Weekend smoothies' and then I started asking questions.

1. What are some of your favorite ingredient substitutions? Claire stated that everyone should have Greek Yogurt in the refrigerators at all times as it is so versatile. For example, it is a great and tastier replacement for sour cream. She also enjoys making creamy dressings with it. She also loves using fresh herbs and says that you can easily substitute one for other as long as you substitute leafy for leafy or hard for hard. Meaning, you can swap parsley for basil or thyme for rosemary.

2. What is your favorite snack on the road? She said her Pumpkin Seed Dried Cherry Trail Mix is her obsession. Made me crave my Popcorn Trial Mix.

3. Do you ever feel limited by the 5 ingredient rule or want to sneak one in? Claire Works hard on her recipes and once she has the 5 ingredients she has worked on, the recipe is done and she is proud of it. However, she has played a game with friends where she asks them to guess the five ingredients and if they can not identify them , she questions whether she needs to rework it as maybe it is not the right combination.

Her take home message was that we all need to be 'The Executive Chef of your own homes' so go ahead and use her recipe as the base and feel free to add or edit it to match your own tastes

She also shared the following five essential pantry items and kitchen tools.

Five Essential Pantry Items:

1. A great rubber spatula

2. A great quality pot/pan

3. A great set of knives (paring, serrated, chef or Sandoki was noted)

4. Food Processor

5. Wooden Spoons

Five Essential Kitchen Tools:

1. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2. Sugar

3. Quality Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

4. Quality Balsamic Vinegar

5. Varies depending on the season, her mood...said maybe salt & pepper

And finally, Claire reads every comment on her recipes at The Food Network so keep sharing and give her your feedback.

Mushroom, Ham & Peas Alfredo ‘Baked’ Potatoes

2010-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Here is another example where some leftovers or a review of the fridge/pantry can result in another great meal. Normally we are not big Alfredo sauce eaters however, the sauce came with the package of Newman's Own goodies for the Family Bites program and this is what I created.

Honestly, I as a bit skeptical as to how the flavors would come together but I loved the result. In fact, it was so good that I wanted to share the recipe with you as a reminder to experiment and to use potatoes and miscellaneous items to create a quick, economical and tasty meal!

In fact, empty the fridge and create a potato bar tonight!

Ingredients (Yields: 4 servings):
4 large potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 oz ham steak, diced
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup Newman’s Own Alfredo Pasta Sauce (or a light version if you can find it)
Chives, diced, optional

Instructions:
1. Place potatoes into a large microwavable bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave for 8 minutes. Using a knife, pierce the potato. If it is still firm in the center, microwave another two minutes

2. Preheat pan to medium high with 1 teaspoon oil. Add the mushrooms and ham steak and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté until mushrooms and ham until browned.

3. Reduce heat to low, add the Alfredo Pasta Sauce and peas and allow to simmer gently until warmed and thickened.

4. Pour the sauce over the Potato and top with chives if you wish.

Cleaning your Produce and Saving Money with the Oxo Salad Spinner & Giveaway

2010-04-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

When you come home from the super market, do you place all of your lettuce, fruits, vegetables and herbs right in the refrigerator? You can greatly lengthen the time the items are fresh and in turn, save yourself money by cleaning them first. I do this for many of the items using a Salad Spinner.

Let me start off by telling you that not only do I show you how to use the salad spinner in the video below but I also want to tell you why I have this items in my OpenSky Shop: because it is a great value. This is a product that I have used for 10 years and it has proven itself invaluable. See how.

Not only do I want to save you money on produce, but I also want to save you $27 by giving one Salad Spinner away! That's right, simply click here to be entered to win! When you do so, you will also receive a 10% off coupon as well!

In case you are wondering why I opened a shop with Opensky, it's because it is my Shop. They asked me to choose items that I am passionate about and told me how they are a passionate company: passionate about their shop keepers, product quality and customer service.

I also wonder what else you would use the salad spinner for?

Crayons for Cancer

2010-04-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have become involved in an organization called 'Crayons for Cancer' which raises funds to help families with kids currently battling Cancer. This is done by taking broken, unused crayons, removing the paper, sorting them by color, melting them and pouring it into molds. The resulting crayons are then packaged and sold for $1 a bag.

100% of the proceeds from Crayons for Cancer goes to Children's Hospitals to support their Oncology Units. Current partners are: Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Minneapolis Children's Hospital and the Hasbro Children's Hospital. The funds help in two ways:

1. Family Funds help families cope with their child’s illnesses by off-setting the cost of parking and meals while they stay at the hospital.

2. Treasure Chests where young patients go to choose prizes after enduring tough chemotherapy, radiation treatments and/or blood tests.

Please watch the video below and consider becoming involved in this organization by going to crayonsforcancer.org or email kmtokarski@yahoo.com or savorthethyme@cox.net

‘Bruscetta’ Pizza Salad OR ‘Panzanella’ Pizza Salad?

2010-04-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

Although the frequency of leftover pizza may be close to null in your house, I created a fun snack on the fly while cleaning out the fridge a few weeks ago. We had some lovely mesclun mix, pizza and a little bit of balsamic reduction/syrup. I know you will not believe me but the kids loved it (except when my son was irritated by a falling piece of lettuce).

So, you tell me: ‘Bruscetta’ Pizza Salad OR ‘Panzanella’ Pizza Salad?

Ingredients:
Quality frozen pizza, cut into thin slices (I used Newman's Own Margherita Thin & Crispy Pizza)
Organic Mesclun Mix (or any lettuce)
Balsamic Reduction Sauce/Syrup (or dressing but you may wish to toss salad in it first to avoid drips)

Directions:
Remove the refrigerator, slice it, top with salad and syrup. Yum!

FYI: The best way to slice pizza is by using a pizza wheel. You avoid the tearing and uneven slicing that results from using a knife. I also use my pizza wheel when making chicken strips and cutting up brownies

Eating your Words 2010 - The Winner

2010-04-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

The wait is over! Tracey and I are beyond excited to announce that Chef Andrew Zimmern has chosen as the winner of Eating your Words 2010: The Meyer Lemon SCRABBLE COOKIES from Caroline of When Adobo Met Feijoada !

Caroline is the winner of the amazing and highly coveted aebleskiver pan courtesy of Aunt Else's Aebleskiver! Her winning entry will also be featured on Chef Zimmern's Blog (link to be added once post is up)

We asked Chef Zimmern to 'spell out' his decision making process and he answered:
1) "Zimmern" is worth almost 100 points in Scrabble.
2) I respect the artist's restraint. With the remaining letters, I would have been tempted to spell "wiener" and/or "poop."
3) Who doesn't like Meyer lemon cookies?
4) Hello Mister Zimmern, Pick Me.... Simply genius

Bravo! (speaking of Bravo he is a guest judge in this season of Top Chef Masters)

Honorable mentions include:
The MAGNETIC POETRY KIT COOKIES by Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie

SPELLING WITH SUSHI by Phyllis and Kris, me_HUNGRY!

THE ART OF MAKING CREAM OF MUSHROOM (AND CHICKEN) SOUP, NOT INSPIRED FROM THE CAN by Sanura, My Life Runs on Food

We wish to thank each and every one of you who entered and a huge thank you to Chef Zimmern and Aunt Else's Aebleskiver!!

Interview with Melissa d'Arabian of Food Network's Ten Dollar Dinners

2010-04-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

In August 2009, Melissa d'Arabian won season five of The Next Food Network Star, and is now the host of 10 Dollar Dinners on The Food Network. Melissa is a mom of 4 preschool-aged girls and is an amazing cook. On her show Ten Dollar Dinners, (airs Sundays at 12:30 EST) she shows us how to make tasty recipes for four people and under ten bucks.

I had the honor in being able to take part in an interview of Melissa but before I asked her questions, she shared some of her favorite recipes, money-saving tips, and unique ideas for a memorable and exciting Easter including Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze, Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting and some brunch recipes I share below.

I am assuming that you are a meal planner and now that you have a very busy schedule with the show, do you have any added tips for managing your time?

She said 'Go back to the basics'. Make the foods that you and your family enjoy and switch things up. She plans her menus when she is on planes if need be, often cooks them in advance with clear instructions for when she is away. She reinterated that it is harder now that she is working and can get caught more easily in the 'Wait, What is for Dinner?' scenario so many of us find ourselves in. Sometimes meal planning can be as simple as looking in refridgerator or freezer or seeing what needs to be used up and making the meal from there.

What is the one food that your girls eat that surprises you? Pate, especially mousse. One daughter loves the finest, expensive stuff but since her husband is French, they enjoy that the girls enjoy pate.

Do you read ingredients labels on packaged foods and are there certain things you avoid? Yes, as she tries avoid MSG in the families diet since her body can not tolerate it at all. She also tries to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup but believes in moderation. She loves cooking for her family so does not use packaged items frequently.

Random Fact: She loves her Magic Bullet.

In case you have boiled eggs left from Easter, Melissa has shared two great recipes to utilize those leftovers (talk about stretching a buck!):
Egg and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese Baguette & Asparagus with Tangy-Smoky Dressing

Whole Wheat Panko Breaded Tilapia with Vegetable Relish

2010-04-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you want to make a meal look a bit fancier, when the truth is that you are really using up some vegetables and running low on time. This recipe may seem like it takes lots of effort, but I swear, after a bit of assembly line prep, it is rather quick but looks time-consuming.

Savory tips:
a. Make the relish while the fish is in the oven.
b. Use white panko crumbs if that is all you have
c. Whisk together your own o.o. & vinegar if you do not have an appropriate dressing

Ingredients (4 servings):
¾ cups whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ cup frozen corn, thawed
½ red pepper, minced
½ green pepper, minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing (or make your own o.o. & vinegar)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Prepare breading by combining bread crumbs, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

3. Place lemon juice in a bowl and a cooling rack in a baking pan.

4. Create the following ‘assembly line’: lemon juice, breading, cooling rack. Spray the cooling rack with cooking spray.

5. Dip the fish into the lemon juice, and then coat both sides with the breading and place onto the rack. Repeat until all 4 pieces are done.

6. Bake for 18 -20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.

7. While the fish is baking, prepare the relish by combining the corn, peppers, parsley and dressing in a bowl and mix well.

8. Place relish over fish when serving.

My favorite prep bowls are the break and chip-resistant ones that I offer in my OpenSky shop. They are also microwave safe, 'nest' together for neat, easy storage and are Dishwasher & freezer safe. Brilliant!

Rhode Island Food Bloggers / Great American Bake Sale

2010-04-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that I will be part of the first National Food Bloggers Bake Sale (part of the Great American Bake Sale and heading the sale in the state of Rhode Island. This sale raises money for Share Our Strength (SOS), a national organization fighting to end childhood hunger in the United States. In addition, after the severe flooding and newly homeless children and families in RI, many will need this support more than ever.

The bake sale will take place on Saturday, April 17th, from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at The Pizza Place Restaurant at 43 Broad Street in downtown Westerly, RI. If you have not eaten here before, you must try the amazing pizzas and salads (I am nuts about the chopped pasta salad)

Can't make it? No problem as you can donate here!

Also, let me tempt you with some of the planned offerings: corn muffins, pumpkin bread, biscotti, chocolate covered pretzels, fresh breads, whoopie pies and more!

I would love for you to join us to bake, sell or by coming down to buy some tasty food. You can contact me by:
Email: savorthethyme@cox.net
Twitter @savorthethyme
Facebook Fan Page

If you are from another state and want to sign up to host a bake sale in your area, or join a bake sale, Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking has a list of food bloggers and their contact information.

Eating your Words 2010 Round Up

2010-04-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks goodness we have unlimited long distance because Tracey and I have spent hours talking about this challenge: the amazing entries, our excitement, the prize and the judge, Chef Zimmern! We are truly blown away by the creativity and energy you have all put into this challenge.

We plan to announce the winner as soon as Chef Zimmern himself looks at every single one! So hold tight and without further ado, the round-up, Part I

In honor of the New Year, Smita shows off her amazing talent and joy of playing with food! ( WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES 12 ) TOMATO N BEET SOUP WITH FLAVORED SAVORY INDIAN CRACKERS by Smita (#2), Little Food Junction.

Carrots, Beans & Fusilli Pasta create 'words' that express her gratitude to her teachers: (HAPPY TEACHERS DAY) , VEGETABLE RICE N PAPAD WITH SALAD by Smita (#3), Little Food Junction.

Leela of She Simmers needed a creation that would unify the cultures of her guests and offend noone, so as inspired by the sweetness of honey when she created BAKED SPRING ROLLS WITH SPICED HONEY-NUT FILLING

Pie + cupcake + 4 year old cuteness = Amazing BANANA CREAM PUPCAKES by Joie de Vivre, Joie de Vivre: An Amateur Gourmet’s Guide.

Natasha of 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures spotted 5 ripe bananas on her counter and decided to skip the standard banana bread and thrill the family with the BANANA SPLIT

Phyllis and Kris of me_HUNGRY took this fruit known for it's potent scent and turned it into an amazing dessert that would tempt even the biggest scaredy-cat with BLACK RICE PUDDING WITH DURIAN CUSTARD & DURIAN COOKIE LETTERS: A DESSERT FOR DURIAN HATERS (AND THE UNINITIATED) !

BLOOD ORANGE MACARONS WITH CHAMPAGNE/MASCARPONE GANACHE by Mardi Michels, Eat.Live.Travel.Write.

Malou from Skip to Malou put her thinking cap on and headed to her art lab (a.k.a. kitchen) and came out with this amazing 'burger' titled BURGER OUTSIDE THE BOX

Now this is the way to get my attention! Maybe I will use this idea to write 'Please' to my husband before I mention going to the mall. CHOCOLATE SWIRL BARK by Phyllis (#2), me_HUNGRY!.

Egypt's answer to American Chili...kind of, sort of.....learn more about EGYPTIAN KOSHARI by Dee, Texas to Mexico.

Have your drink and eat it to! GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH BAILEY’S IRISH CREAM FROSTING by Jeanne, Simple Math Bakery.

You will never look at Ritz Crackers in the same way again: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FAUX MINTS by Kathryn, Crafts and Creations with KMOM14.

Shirley was determined to to how us why we should play with our food more often a did so by spelling out her blog name GFE - Gluten Free Easily using HONEY-SWEETENED CORN MUFFINS

Wine & Chocolate = INSIDE-OUT EGGS by Aiofe, The Daily Spud. Find out how this brilliant creation came to be from one of our alumni's.

JELLY BEAN DIVA by Diva on a Diet from Beach Eats has made me crave jelly beans so badly that I may throw a diva-worthy fit if the Easter Bunny does not bring some.

My favorite cookie designer in the world has topped herself again!! These MAGNETIC POETRY KIT COOKIES by Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie are to die for. If you want to see incredible creativity with cookies/sweets, than you need to add this site to your favorites!

A comfort food disguised as an amazing dessert? Yes, it is the MEATLOAF DINNER CAKE by Veeda, White Lotus Cooks ! I call dibs on the crispy shallots.

I want to work in this office if this is the birthday cake I could expect:
ORANGE COOKIES & CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE by Nachiketa, The Variable.

As if I needed another reason to play one of my favorite board games, Caroline from When Adobo Met Feijoada made meyer lemon sugar 'letter's for her SCRABBLE COOKIES submission.

TWISTED BREADSTICKS by Jennifer of Bread + Butter stuffed this sough with cheese! This is my idea of a happy snack.

WHOLE WHEAT SOFT PRETZELS by Lori of Fake Food Free already loved pretzels but once she learned of their association with Lent, she knew they would be a part of this Easter season.

For the rest of the Round-Up, head over to Tangled Noodle

The Food Revolution USA with Jamie Oliver

2010-04-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution ? Why not? I know, it is one of those situations like avoiding the doctor when you know something is wrong? If you know the truth, you will have to act on it and make changes. Any we all love to avoid change right?

Well, do not turn away, learn the truth about not only what American schools are feeding our children but apply the knowledge to your own home and habits. The processed, artificial ingredients that infiltrate so much of the interior sections of the grocery store should be avoided at home and at school as wel as the high fat and salt 'foods'. Trust me, start looking and reading. Yuck.

Watch, Learn, Read and sign this petition that states 'I support Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. America's kids need better food at school and better health prospects. We need to keep cooking skills alive.'

Jamie is also sharing amazing recipes to help you home: Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals

Balsamic Chicken Kabobs

2010-04-01T03:06:00.000-07:00

One reader recently asked via Twitter, 'How can I make chicken more interesting for a picky family?' Well, in my opinion, one way is to change up the presentation and make it more fun. Even in the dead of winter, I will make a more 'summer-like' meals and presentation using an indoor grill.

Oh, and forget to vote for your favorite foodie (hint) for the Hot Bloggers Calendar.

Ingredients:
6 wooden skewers
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 red pepper, chopped into large pieces
1 20oz. can of Pineapples slices, drained and cut into large chunks
¼ & ¼ cup Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Yields: 6 servings (1 kabob per person)

Instructions:
1. Immerse skewers into water and set aside for 30 minutes. Chop the chicken breasts into large chunks and marinate in the first ¼ cup of dressing for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop the peppers and pineapple.

3. Heat the outdoor or indoor grill to medium.

4. Alternate placing the chicken, peppers and pineapple on the skewers.

4. Pour the remaining ¼ cup dressing onto the skewers and place them on the grill for approximately 3 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes. You may need to cook them longer, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

5. Place the skewers on a bed of rice or couscous and garnish with the parsley.

Here is a fantastic indoor grill that you would find useful year round.

Wordless Wednesday - Kitty Car

2010-03-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

Popcorn Trail Mix - Snack in a Bag

2010-03-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

Spring time is finally here and we are all going to be spending more time outside and that means we need to bring snacks along for the ride. And since we all love popcorn, feel free to utilize it in this trail mix.

Hey, no picking out popcorn and cereal allowed, only handfuls with fruits & nuts to be consumed.

Ingredients:
3 cups plain or lightly buttered popcorn
½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup whole raw almonds
1 cup honey nut O cereal

Instructions:
1. Pop the popcorn according to manufacturer’s instructions

2. Meanwhile, place the cranberries, almonds and cereal in a bowl.

3. Add the popcorn, toss well and distribute 1 cup each into a bowl or plastic bag for easy transport.

Yield: 4 servings at 1 cup each

Chicken Cacciatore Triangles & Family Bites Feature

2010-03-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Back in January, Foodbuzz introduced a new section they were planning called Family Bites and offered us an opportunity to compete to be featured. Each of us needed to create a number of recipes using products from Newman's Own and guess what? I was choosen to be featured this week. I hope you love the recipes as much as we do. Today, I am sharing Chicken Cacciatore Triangles (aka chicken calzones).

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/ teaspoon ground pepper
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
½ cup Newman's Own Sockarooni Sauce
1 13.8 ounce Pizza Crust
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Cut chicken into small chunks and add to pan. Sprinkle with oregano and cook about 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring often.

3. Turn heat to medium low and add cream cheese and Parmesan and stir until melted. Add the Sockarooni sauce, stir well and turn off the heat.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to the size of 20 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle down the center lengthwise and then each side into 4 squares. This results in 8 squares.

5. Make the egg wash by mixing the egg and water well with a fork

6. Scoop about 1.5 heaping tablespoons onto each square. Lightly brush egg wash over each edge and fold one corner to the opposite in a diagonal way to create a triangle.

7. Crimp the edges with a fork, lightly brush the triangle with egg wash and sprinkle cheese all over.

8. Bake for approximately 17 minutes. Serve with a side of Sockarooni sauce if you wish.

To see the rest of the recipes, go to Family Bites.

True Lemon - A great addition to my Pantry

2010-03-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Back about a year ago, a friend wrote me asking if I had heard of True Lemon. She told me it is a crystallized lemon product that she used in her iced tea and that it did not contain anything artificial. I went to the website and requested samples and had not even tried them when a package full of True Lemon and True Lime showed up.

My friend was so excited that True Lime was now on the market, that she sent me full sized packages. Honestly, I usually try to use either fresh lemon and lime (plus, I love citrus peel in my food as well!) or I have the bottled stuff hanging in the fridge. However, I did lots of experimenting this week and I am hooked. I have been using it in fish, sauce and baked tortillas chip recipes and love it. I also noticed that they now have True Orange. Yippee!

Go here to request samples or to print a coupon.

Eating your Words 2010 Challenge Countdown

2010-03-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of The decorated cookie

Alrighty, there is 1 week left to enter the Eating your Words Challenge and Tanglednoodle and I are thrilled at the entries so far. Here is a summary of the event for those of you jumping in now:

Feel free to grab the badge and link proudly

The Premise: As Tangled Noodle stated: "Do your waffles whisper to you? Or does the arugula like to argue? A great dish can speak for itself, so why not let it do all the talking!"

To Enter:

1. 'Write, spell or draw' using food or drink, and create a blog post about it from now (the date of this post) until midnight on Wednesday, March 31st. We will accept any previous blog posts you may already have where you've created a 'written'-inspired dish or drink.

2. Blog about your creation, including photos, and add a link back to Savor the Thyme (http://savorthethyme.blogspot.com) and Tangled Noodle (http://tanglednoodle.blogspot.com). If you'd like, feel free to grab the badge below and place it in your post!

3. Send an e-mail titled 'Eating Your Words 2010' with the following information to eatingyourwords10@cox.net:

Your name
The name of your blog
The name of your dish or drink
The link to your blog entry and a photograph of the dish or drink
Entries must be received by midnight March 31, 2010

You can still participate even if you don't have a blog at all. Simply e-mail the above

information minus the blog details and we'll include it in the round up.

4. Please keep it clean! Appropriate humor is always welcome. Open to both Domestic and International entrants.

All entries will be posted on both blogs in the first week of April.

The Prize: This gorgeous aebleskiver pan, courtesy of Aunt Else's Aebleskiver!

The Judging:
We will choose the finalists and then present them to Andrew Zimmern! Yes, Chef Zimmern of Travel Channel fame AND a judge on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, Season Two . . . We are honored.

Need some inspiration? Take a peek at last year's entrants:
Eating Your Words Roundup, Part I

Eating Your Words Roundup, Part II

Shrimp, Corn & Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

2010-03-24T04:01:00.000-07:00

Leftover Shrimp is one item you are not going to let go to waste so I decided to have a salad with them. I also had leftover corn for the previous evening so I grabbed a few of my favorite items and went to work. I also knew I wanted to make a zesty dressing using up my cilantro so I turned to EatingWell and created their Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette.

The salad is a delicate one with all the flavors blending so if you want to punch, add some onion. As far as the vinaigrette, it was fresh and the flavors blended but I would add some red wine vinegar to add a bit more zest for this salad.

Ingredients:
1 cup Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup cooked and chilled shrimp
1/4 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup cooked and chilled corn
handful of cilantro.

Prep and toss all the ingredients together and top with vinaigrette

Mushroom Soup - Altering the Presentation

2010-03-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Do you ever not try a food or enjoy it because of the way it looks? That was the issue I had with my Mushroom Soup and my son. My daughter loves the mushroom soup the way I make it but my son does not want to try the soup because he sees the floating mushrooms and says he does not like them and therefore, will not try it. I decided to give it another try but using a hand blender to puree the soup and see if I could get him interested.

The result: he ate it and my daughter did not mind the difference. I will say that I think the soup look prettier before pureeing but a mom does what a mom needs to do.

A few words of wisdom:
1. Puree before you add the milk (I pureed after I added it and it made a ton of froth which I needed to let settle)
2. Make sure you add the rice after pureeing.

Mambo Sprouts

2010-03-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Mambo Sprouts? I did not until I 'tweeted' asking folks if they knew of a resource for organic/natural foods coupons. Since then, I have received coupon booklets from them and I have to share this great site. They are more than coupons (you can get some online as well).

Mambo Sprouts is a great resource for healthy and organic living. The site features health tips, recipes, and healthy & organic food product news and information.

Sign up today and enjoy the savings on high quality foods.

Plimouth Plantation & Saving the Rain Forest

2010-03-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived here in New England and we wanted to spend some time outdoors and since we were planning on visiting relatives out of state anyway, we decided to spend the entire day in Massachusetts. I went to Tropicana.com and I found that we could get a Buy 1 Get 1 admission to Plimouth Plantation for only 5 points. I could then also donate points to the 'Save the Rain Forest' program to round out the 6-9 points that I had allocated to spend this weekend.

Plimouth Plantation: This is a bicultural museum, offering personal encounters with history built on thorough research about the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s.

The kids were fascinated by the 'houses' of the time, the farming/food resources and the kindergartner was in awe of all the physical labor that children had to do. And touring the Mayflower II was a hit as well. We then enjoyed sitting the the grass and enjoying the Cape Cod Bay. The finale was learning about the Plymouth rock and tossing coins at it.

Save the Rainforest:
Tropicana has teamed up with coolearth.org on a special project in the Ashaninka Corridor in Peru. They are securing forest once held by logging companies and opening it up to rubber tappers and harvesters of forest produce, helping the Ashaninka tribe to manage the forest resources sustainably and to protect the rainforest and its valuable store of carbon.

You can donate any number of points that you wish. We donated 3 today which equals 100 sq. ft. of rainforest rescued.

I want to encourage all of you that use Tropicana products to register online so you can enter codes and take advantage of this fabulous program.

Use the code MOTHE-RHOOD within 6 hours of registering for Juicy Rewards and you'll get one extra bonus point worth $5 in savings immediately! To get your bonus point:

1. Go to http://www.tropicana.com/
2. Set-up your Tropicana Juicy Rewards account (just takes a minute!)
3. Visit the "Enter Codes" page within the site and get started with MOTHE-RHOOD

**This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account.**

Disclaimer: I am a Juicy Insider Ambassador with TheMotherhood.com . I am compensated with both points and for redeeming the points. However, I have been ringing up plenty of points on my own because I am a Tropicana OJ drinker and look forward to the many points I will be accruing and using this year.

Visions of my Easter Table Scape ala Pottery Barn

2010-03-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

The sun was beaming down on me late this morning while the gentle breeze blew and I started thinking about Easter. Then I started thinking about the Ham, the side dishes and the new recipes I would create. Next came the vision of the table scape which lead to flipping through the Pottery Barn catalog. My Easter table vision includes the items below.

What are some of your favorites from their recent catalog?

Vegetable Burger on Sandwich Thins - A Year to Savor the Thyme Tip #15

2010-03-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

You ever spend a week craving the same thing to eat? I have been eating these sandwiches every day, mostly for breakfast. Here is the real kicker: my son sees me just sitting there chomping away and he is intrigued. He takes shy little shuttling steps over to investigate. I see the interest and so I do the opposite of what my mom self wants to do: No, do not show excitement and say 'Oh want some veggie burger?!'. Nope, I show no response, not even eye contact and so what happens, he says 'Mommy, can I have a bite of your sandwich?' Luckily, I did not get Red Hot sauce in one area and so, he bites, chews, processes and says 'more!'.

I then make him his own sandwich. After eating it, I let him know that I will make him veggie burgers whenever he wants. He says 'Okay!'. Lesson: Do not be intimidated and shy away from something you think the kids will hate, not eat, throw etc. Just eat it yourself and see if they have interest.

Ingredients:
1 MorningStar Farms Veggie Patty
1 Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin
Dash of Frank's Red Hot sauce
Baby Spinach

Microwave the patty per instructions, place it on the sandwich thin, add some baby spinach leaves, place a dash of sauce on and enjoy!

Photoworks Photo Books by American Greetings : A Father's Day Gift

2010-03-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am usually the one who starts thinking about special occasions and gifts early on yet ends up scrambling at the last minute. In an effort to avoid that situation, I agreed to create an American Greetings Photoworks PhotoBook as part of a review (with Father's Day in mind). I realized afterwards that I was really supposed to create a baby book but I will take poetic license as my littlest was only a young 3 when we took the trip to Disney.

I have created photobooks in the past on a different website so I knew that they can be time consuming however, so is creating scrapbooking pages. However, you do not need any supplies and you can do this without anyone knowing.

Pros:
*Sign up was quick and easy (no need to go to email to activate etc.)
*Easy to customize colors and themes and edit them later as well.
*Generous book with 20 pages and since you can 1-4 pictures per page, you can fit like 80 photos and stay within budget.
*There was a code for free shipping.
*I appreciated that they let you know at the get go that this process takes 60 plus minutes.
*The Upload was rather quick but I would expect this to vary based on connection speed and photo size.
*Love that you are given a preview as you load each photo so you can double check that you selected the correct one.
*Enjoy changing layouts on each page if you do not like the way it looks.
*Each time you use a photo, a little yellow dog ear appears on the upper left corner so you know which photos you already used
*Easy check out
*Reasonable prices
*Love that they call the book my 'masterpiece' when they send the confirmation email.
*Live chat available to assist you during the process
*You can edit the photo via Picnik after you have loaded it.
*I truly enjoy making photobooks and am excited to receive it in the mail next week

Neutral:
*You may need to download Java
*I just ordered the book so I can not comment on the quality, only the process

Cons:
*Defaulted to 'create new album' whenever I wanted to add more photos which can cause you to upload to the wrong album and have to reload.
*Wish I could customize the layout even more or if you can, I did not find how.
*Wish there was an edit undo feature. I had changed the layout on the wrong page and went to change it back but the photos and wording was gone.
*For some reason, some of the photos did not have the dog ear after I placed them on a page.
*Love that you can use a photo more than once but think a window should pop-up simply to verify you want to use it again.
*Wish it had spell check as caught some typos. and it would be disappointing to receive the book with misspellings.
* The name of photo file showed up in caption on some of the pages.
*Wish there was a quicker way to change the cover color after you create the book as it loads the entire book contents each time.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of American Greetings PhotoWorks and received a free photo book to facilitate my review

Eating your Words: The Judge (initials AZ)

2010-03-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

As if the challenge itself and the prize is not enough, we have asked Chef Andrew Zimmern to decide the winner for the Eating your Words challenge!! Yes, the fabulous Mr. Zimmern of Bizaare Foods on The Travel Channel. You have watched this show right? If not, you are missing out on a show that Slashfood named as one of the Top 10 Food Shows, so start watching!

The plan is that Noodle and I are going to present Chef Zimmern with the finalists and he will choose the winner. Both the round-up and winner will be posted within 1 week of the March 31st deadline.

We all know he appreciates creative, unique and fun food so get into the kitchen and let the food do the talking! If you need inspiration, take a peek at last year's entries:

Eating Your Words Roundup, Part I
Eating Your Words Roundup, Part II

A few teasers from last year:

Fake Free Food TangledNoodle

The Decorated Cookie

If you would like to tweet along, please follow @Savorthethyme , @TangledNoodle and @AndrewZimmern on twitter and the hashtag #eatingyourwords

Bison 'Chop Suey' or 'American Goulash' : An updated 70's Classic

2010-03-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

Ground Bison, Whole Grain Pasta & Sauce = simple, quick, affordable and nutritious!

If you are wondering what the thing on the pan is, it is a splatter screen. I love my splatter screen. I use it when I saute, brown etc. and really love it when I am warming or making marinara sauce. You ever turn up the heat and walkaway to find that suace is all over the stovetop and wall? You can find it in my Shop.

Also, the 15% off for the Curious Chef measure and prep gift set expires tomorrow -> take advantage of this offer using code CURIOUS15.

Oh the recipe is simple: While the pasta is boiling, simply brown the meat and then add in some marinara sauce, toss the pasta in after draining and mix well.

Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ‘10 Contest

2010-03-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am sure many of you have heard of the company Mabel’s Label’s and that they are running a BlogHer '10 contest. Here is the challenge: You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere in 300 words or less? Here is my response:

Passions: family, health, respect, cancer research, science, everyday moments, kindness to everyone, exploring, loyalty, my word, your word, less suffering, valuing time with each person you encounter, making sure everyone feels included. You know that Golden Rule? Live it. Don't just preach it.

Remember that we have a postal system to support so break out the pen and spend some time buying quality papers and write. Go to the library and dust off the old phone books. I think they have one for each state so look up your friends and continue connecting. I will even place a Savor the Thyme ad so you can write and call me. I will also start planning a ‘No Longer Blogging’ Conference so we can all meet Face to Face and express ourselves and continue to connect. Contact me if you want to help.

In case, we never meet in person or speak, here is what else you need to know: I am sensitive, passionate about respect, very loyal, give 100% to my commitments, am rarely late (even after kids) and love to entertain. Now, I want you to print these quotes from Robert Fulghum and display them in at least one place:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder

Sahale Snacks = Snack Better

2010-03-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

A while back, you may recall a did a Whrrl story about some new snack options at Starbuck's. I frequent Starbuck's as I use it as my 'office' each week and noted some new snacks they had. I immediately grabbed a bag of the pricey but exotic and promising 'Almonds with Apple, Flax Seeds, Date, Balsamic Vinegar + Red Pepper'. I mean how often does your snack have that kind of title? I love how they have a delicate sweetness and the heat from the red pepper had me sold.

Since then, I have had the Almonds with Cranberries, Honey + Sea Salt and my son's favorite Cashews with Pomegranate + Vanilla .

So why else does this line appeal to me? A quote straight from Shale Snacks : "The company was founded on a simple idea: take all-natural ingredients, add a dash of culinary magic, and produce great tasting snacks."

Try some and feel free to share them with the kids.

Horseradish Crusted Salmon

2010-03-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

I was browsing a copy of Good Housekeeping magazine while waiting (and waiting) at a doctor's office last week and one recipe caught my eye: Horseradish Salmon. I knew right away that this would be popular at home as my kids enjoy Salmon and my son loves a Boar's head Horseradish Sauce.

I bought the sauce a few months back figuring my hubby would love it on sandwiches, steaks etc. and since kids love trying what we like (especially daddy), I know must keep it in stock for the youngest as well.

Ingredients:
2 (5 to 6 ounces each) boneless wild caught salmon fillets
1 tablespoon fresh thyme and parsley
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil 1/2 cup(s) panko (coarse bread crumbs)
2 tablespoon(s) Boar's Head horseradish sauce
A few dashes of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a pan with parchment paper.
2. In small bowl, combine panko crumbs, horseradish sauce, thyme, parsley and oil. Place the salmon on the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press panko mixture evenly on top of fillets. Bake salmon 8 minutes or until golden brown on top and opaque throughout.

Eating your Words Challenge 2010 - The Prize!

2010-03-12T11:41:00.001-08:00

I know, you were already excited to participate because this is the funnest food challenge out there right? The admiration from the millions in the blogsphere is kudos enough right? Well, TangledNoodle and I decided we wanted to take it up a notch. In fact, we wanted to make sure that the entire world could enter and that there was an amazing prize for the effort. So what do we have for you? A fabulous prize that can be shipped anywhere! Yes, you bloggers in Botswana can get the prize as well: drum roll.....

A gorgeous aebleskiver pan! Courtesy of Aunt Else's Aebleskiver! This heirloom quality piece of cookware is made in Noodle's hometown of Minneapolis. Wouldn't you love to stuff them with jams, jellies, eggs or coat them with sauces, syrups and sugar? Well, no need to wait as you can go ahead and order one now at 10% off using the code 'EYW'. Hurry though as this offer ends when the challenge ends on March 31st.

By the way, Tanglednoodle already has stuffed them with everything I mentioned above! Here is one photo and her photos and recipes are on her site.

Now, let your food do 'the talking' To enter:

1. 'Write, spell or draw’ using food or drink and create a blog post about it from now until the midnight, March 31st. Any previous blog posts you have where you've created a ‘written’ inspired dish/drink are accepted.

2. Blog about your creation, including photos and add a link back to my blog and tangled noodles within your blog post; Savor The Thyme and Tangled Noodle . If you'd like, feel free to grab the badge below and place it in your post!

3. Send an email titled 'Eating your words' with the following information to eatingyourwords10@cox.net :

*Your name

*The name of your blog

*The name of your dish or drink

*The link to your blog entry and a photograph of the dish or drink

*Entries must be received by midnight March 31, 2010

4. Please keep it clean! Appropriate humor is always welcome.

5. All entries will all be posted the first week of April on both blogs.

Stay tuned for more amazing-ness next week!! We promise.

OpenSky Giveaway & Discount!

2010-03-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the inaugural OpenSky Twitter Party last night, the topic was 'Family Cooking, Family Time and Family Fun. During the party, we revealed some specials and a giveaway.

Right now, though March 18th (11:59 PM EST), take 15% off the Curious Chef Prep Kit using the code CURIOUS15 ! Talk about getting your kids in the kitchen and involved in creating meals! Your kids will feel special having their own set of measuring spoons, cups, bowls, timer and more. This also makes a great birthday gift.

GIVEAWAY: Please visit my shop and then leave a comment here answering : What item most interests you in my shop or would you like to see in my shop?

In case you missed the party: The hastag to follow tonight will be #OSfamfun. Be sure you are following me (@savorthethyme), @centsiblelife @bellalimento , @lindslj123 , @jazzybee09 and @tedrubin . We used the TweetGrid http://is.gd/ad65b

See you there!

Sun & Earth Review & Giveaway

2010-03-10T05:09:00.000-08:00

I have been using a few of the Sun & Earth products for a while now and have even tweeted out about them so when they asked me to review their entire Fabric Care Line, I said 'Yes'. They also shared their excitement about the launch of the Laundry Detergent REFILL Stations at Whole Foods in NJ, NY, and CT.

But first, a little more about Sun & Earth. Their products made with non-toxic ingredients including coconut and orange oils that clean and shine beautifully and have an appealing scent. All of the laundry and cleaning products are free of petroleum based cleaners, chlorine, phosphates, dyes and perfumes that leave a residue. In addition, they are not tested on animals.

Now, more about the refill stations: They are an easy-to-use fill nozzle stations where you reuse the laundry detergent bottle and cap that you already have (marked on the bottle) and refill them at Whole Foods. Since you pay by the ounce, you are in control over how much you spend and that can help all of us stay on budget. Wow, they meant it when they coined "Don't Recycle, Re-Use and Re-fill."

Okay, now I bet you want to read my thoughts about these products as I have put them all through the wringer for the past month (or more).

Xtra Concentrated Dish Liquid:

Pros:
· A little goes a long way. This is truly a dish liquid in which I use very little as it does not rinse right off the sponge or only make it through 2 plates.
· Smells great
· Cleans wonderfully
· Does not irritate or dry out my hands-how is that possible?
· Generous sized bottle so I get a lot for money and lasts a long time
· Website states that you can even use it as a fruit & veggie wash – who knew?

Cons:
· As with all brands, the liquid will pool around cap and drain down side of bottle. Can’t anyone invent a design that eliminated that issue?

All Purpose Spray Cleaner:
Pros:
· I have been using this product before I was sent it to review it and I love it.
· Multi-use for sure. I use it on the kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, counter, outside of toilets, door knobs etc.
· Citrus Scent that I enjoy
· I even used it as floor cleaner until they sent me the new floor cleaner.

Cons:
· The citrus scent is a bit strong. Now, I love citrus scent but I think some can be removed and it will still be refreshing.

Concentrated Floor Cleaner:
Pros:
· Scent-The cleaner leaves a very light, citrus scent and not an overbearing one as with most scented floor cleaners. Most floor cleaners give me a headache.
· The floor felt and looked very clean
· The floor was not slippery afterward as with some cleaners

· The bottle states that it works on wood floors as well although I did not try it on them yet (I am lazy when it comes to cleaning our wood floors)

Cons:
· Unless you want some artificial high gloss shine, there are no cons.

Deep Cleaning Laundry Detergent: (both Citrus Scent & Unscented):
Pros:
· A little does go a long way so it is very economical.
· Cleaned my clothes and I have been using it a long while now so I already knew it was a keeper. · Does not leave a strong scent on clothing

Cons:
· Cap Marking: You cannot see the marking inside the cap which makes it challenging to know the correct amount to add.
· Cap Drainage: I found that the excess liquid in the cap did not drain back into the bottle as fast as it could in order to avoid build up on the rim.

Note: I also gave some of the unscented detergent to a friend and she also noted that a little does go along way. She did think the detergent did a good job on her colored clothing but not as good on her whites as her usual brand.

On the Spot Instant Stain Remover:
Pros:
· Convenient to carry around
· Did a great job getting out even older stains even thought it is made for removing fresh stains.
· Can use it on clothing, draperies, furniture.

Cons:
· None

Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets:
Pros:
· No slimy feeling on fingers or clothes. The biggest issue I had with dryer sheets in the past is that you had a slimy feeling on your fingers after handling them and I often felt a 'layer' on my clothes.
· Not overly scented
· Made my old towels feel newer (Newest ones are from our wedding 8 years ago)
· No static cling—especially important to me as get shocked so much (actually my biggest pet peeve in the winter. I can not even touch the car door without a jolt )
· Left one in the dryer after one use and it went though another load but did not shred apart all over the clothe.

Cons:
· None

Ultra Fabric Softener:
Pros:

· Clothes were softer and I wish I had used this with the kids were babies (don’t we a love the extra softness when they are so little).

Cons: None

GIVEAWAY Details: 50 oz 2x Laundry, 22 oz. Xtra Dish & 22 oz. All Purpose Cleaner.

To enter, you must answer one or all of the following questions (can do in one comment or separate) and be sure that a valid email address is available:

* Would you try the refill station if there was one located near you? Is it intuitive? What questions do you have about it? Do you understand the idea behind it? *

Additional Entries (Null if entry above not completed): These are optional however, you MUST leave a comment for each one separately.

1. Join the Savor the Thyme Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment with your FB name

2. Follow @savorthethyme on Twitter.

3. Post this on Twitter (can do every day if you wish but need separate comment for each entry) "Entered to win Sun & Earth Products @savorthethyme Plz RT http://bit.ly/d3xOjI #sunandearth "

4. Subscribe to the Savor the Thyme RSS feed (on the right sidebar).

Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010.

Roasted Edamame

2010-03-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

I have been snacking on edamame beans from Trader Joe's for weeks so I decided to switch things up a bit. The results: a tasty little snack/side dish with enhanced flavor thanks to the roasting.

Feel free to use whatever seasonings suit your taste buds.

Ingredients:
Shelled & thawed Edamame
Olive oil
Chile powder
Paprika
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Stir together the oil, chile powder, paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add the beans to the bowl and toss to coat.

3. Arrange the beans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes (may be a minute or two less-remove if start get too brown.)

4. Eat hot or Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tropicana Juicy Rewards Program : Half-Price Bowling

2010-03-08T01:32:00.000-08:00

We all know that prices on most items (housing, food, clothing, etc) are not going down and with the economy these days, it is harder than ever to afford extra activities. That is why I was so excited when I was told about the Tropicana Juicy Rewards program. Here is how it works: You buy specially marked Tropicana products, enter the codes online and then choose your rewards. Take a look at what fun we had for 1 point!

Use the code MOTHE-RHOOD within 6 hours of registering for Juicy Rewards and you'll get one extra bonus point worth $5 in savings immediately! To get your bonus point:
1. Go to http://www.tropicana.com/

2. Set-up your Tropicana Juicy Rewards account (just takes a minute!)

3. Visit the "Enter Codes" page within the site and get started with MOTHE-RHOOD

**This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account.

Disclaimer: I am a Juicy Insider Ambassador with TheMotherhood.com . I am compensated with both financially and points. However, I have been ringing up plenty of points on my own because I am a Tropicana OJ drinker and look forward to the many points I will be accruing and using this year.

'Eating Your Words' challenge is Back!

2010-03-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

We are back! Yes, last year’s entries were so amazing that Tangled Noodle and I had to do it again! The challenge: utilize an actual fruit, vegetable, noodles, milk, coffee etc. in some sort of writing, drawing or video. Need some creative inspiration? Look over last year’s entries!

Photo courtesy of chiccookiekits (go there-she is so creative and talented!)

Eating Your Words Roundup, Part I
Eating Your Words Roundup, Part II

The prize? Well, we are working on some prizes and hope to be able to offer something special for those entries that really 'speak' to us but we know you will be happy with the admiration of billions right? Here are the details:

1. 'Write, spell or draw’ using food or drink and create a blog post about it from now until the midnight, March 31st. Any previous blog posts you have where you've created a ‘written’ inspired dish/drink are accepted.

2. Blog about your creation, including photos and add a link back to my blog and tangled noodles within your blog post; Savor The Thyme and tangled noodle . If you'd like, feel free to grab the badge below and place it in your post!

3. Send an email titled 'Eating your words' with the following information to eatingyourwords10@cox.net :
*Your name
*The name of your blog
*The name of your dish or drink
*The link to your blog entry and a photograph of the dish or drink
*Entries must be received by midnight March 31, 2010

4. Please keep it clean! Appropriate humor is always welcome.

5. All entries will all be posted the first week of April on both blogs.

A Year to Savor the Thyme Tip #13 : TLC bars

2010-03-06T05:57:00.000-08:00

Snack-Fulls: apple, string cheese, raisins and bunny grahams

2010-03-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

Some days, no matter how much you plan, you are not prepared for the hunger pangs. I am happy to share this little box of snackiness that both myself and the little ones enjoy.

Hot Bloggers Calendar : Support for the Red Cross

2010-03-04T06:56:00.001-08:00

Did the title catch your attention? I wanted to tell you about the Hot Bloggers Calendar for two reasons:

1. I am a nominee and would appreciate your vote . This seems like such a fun and once in a lifetime opportunity so I am hoping to be able to take part.

2. The proceeds of this calendar (I will let you know when it is published and ready for purchase) go to the Red Cross.

EatingWell Wednesday - Tomato & Corn Saute

2010-03-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

In an ongoing effort to exploit the fact that the kids are currently in love with corn and that my daughter is obsessed with tomatoes, I decided to try a Corn & Tomato saute. I know, these items are best and freshest in the spring but I love to switch things up and was not going to wait.

Since I was out of shallots, I used some garlic and onions and parsley for the herb. I loved the flavors and think this would be great as a topping on your favorite protein or as a cold leftover salsa. I found that it took a higher heat to brown the corn but that may have been due to the fact it was thawed and a bit wet, versus fresh.