eh...

Today I took chicken breasts pounded them so they were evenly about say 1/2 inch thick then i coated them w/sour cream and breaded them w/bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 a packet of Warm the Oven dry. Then I baked them for about 25 min in a 365 degree oven. They were, eh. Alright, just needed something, not sure what yet. I also cooked cauliflower and the mashed the cauliflower w/prepared warm the oven dip--and that was yummmmm. (1/2 a packet of WTO with 4 oz of cream cheese)

I also took 1/2 a packet of WTO and whisked it into 1 cup of whipping cream, simmered that on the stove and added in 1 cup of diced tomatoes and 3 chopped cooked slices of turkey bacon and served that over Barilla Plus Angel Hair pasta for lunch. that's my version of carbonara pasta. Good thing I ran 9.5 miles today, eh?

So continues my adventures on the hunt for a really really good Tastefully Simple Warm the Oven entree!

**************Nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while*************
The nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while happened yesterday at church. Now what happens when we go to church is that Tom and I basically try to keep a lid on Anna, who doesn't seem to get the idea of not talking and sitting when you should sit and not going to get a drink of water and so forth. So it was another stressful hour at the end of which I was singing and bryce was standing next to me.

So Bryce whispers in my ear: You should be up there (he pointed to the choir) because your voice is beautiful)

awwwweeeee.

Recent Recipe Creation

This could be called Italian Stir Fry or a Skillet Meal. I made it with 1/2 a box or 8oz of bow tie pasta.

*2 boneless chix breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
* 1 packet of Tastefully Simple Warm the Oven Savory Cheese Dip
* 1/2 cup of olive oil
* 1 tbsp of vinegar
* 1 can of diced tomatoes
1/3 cup of green pepper
1 small zuchinni sliced and 1/2'd
8oz of bow tie pasta or your favorite pasta.

In a small bowl whisk 1 packet of Warm the Oven into 1/2 a cup of olive oil, then whisk in 1 tbsp of vinegar. Take a ziploc bag and put in the 2 chicken breasts, then add 1/4 cup of the Warm the Oven Mixture (reserve the rest). Squeeze out excess air and put in the refrigerator to marinade for 30 minutes (or more)

**** after marinading****
1. begin making pasta according to box directions.
2. Spray your favorite skillet with Pam, turn heat up to med. high, add Chicken Breasts and cook in the pan for about 3-5 minutes on each side until each side is nicely golden brown.
Take the chicken out of the skillet, add the green pepper and zuchinni and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add in the rest of the Warm the Oven Mixture and the tomatoes to the skillet and turn down the heat to med. low. Diced up chicken, add back to skillet and let everything simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the pasta is al dente, drain pasta. plate the pasta, and top with the Warm the Oven Chicken and Vegetables, and serve.
Should make 4 servings.

Next

Found the charger for my camera battery!

First here is how the butterfly cake I made for Anna's bday turned out. The fun thing was that the colors on it matched the dress Anna came home in after her girls night w/K. The next picture you can see Anna has been primped and pampered in true princess style, complete w/curls, a tiara and the 'pretty nails' she has been begging for since school let out.

She wore the nails until it was time to open presents and then she was faced with a big decision. Keep the nails or rip open the pile of gifts. What's a girl to do? She went with ripping off that wrapping paper!

And the last picture is Bryce with his new glasses! He is very excited to see things--especially really getting to see fireworks for the first time. I am so grateful that there was a frog sitting on a lily pad when we visited the Little Red Schoolhouse a few weeks ago! If the frog wasn't there, I wouldn't have been very suspicious of Bryce's eyesight! The frog was about 6 feet away from us on a lilypad and Bryce just could not see it. The frog lead me to ask some questions and Tom took Bryce to the eye doctor and sure enough, Bryce is near-sighted.

The glasses are literally opening up new worlds for Bryce and I am confident he will see a big increase in his baseball batting average this fall!

Happy 4th of July!!!

We are having a few people over today for the 4th for some food and to break in my fire bowl. See pic above, I got it for free w/my Tastefully Simple Indulgence points--something we get monthly based on our sales. So I'm very excited to try it out, we have everything needed to make S'mores.

This morning I have been working on preparing the menu for our 4th of July Celebration.

We are going to be having...
*veggie tray w/Tastefully Simple Bacon Bacon dip
I like whole carrots vrs the flavorless baby carrots they sell, so I'm cutting up some real carrots along w/celery and everyone's fav. Sugar Snap Peas
*Fruit/Cheese/Cracker tray to go along w/a selection of white wines :-) The Kraft Natural Cheese is on sale really really cheap at Jewel so I got one of each of the cheeses that they make, and then I blew all my savings on some yummy Gouda cheese!
*Chicken Breasts marinaded w/Tastefully Simple Sassy Sangria Grill Sauce
*Corn on the Cob brushed w/butter and sprinkled with my favorite seasoning ever, Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt.
*One guest is bringing Potato Salad and the Baby Blue Cobb Salad. Recipe from the TS fan page on Facebook

I am also making a salad, one with no dairy products in it, because Tom can't do dairy, this recipe is from the Hungry Girl Newsletter:

Crunchy Sassy Chinese Slaw

PER SERVING (about 1 cup): 111 calories, 3.5g fat, 375mg sodium, 17.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g sugars, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

This slaw is so good, it's hard not to eat ALL of it (so do everyone a favor and make a double batch!)...

Ingredients:
One 16-oz. package Mann's Broccoli Cole Slaw
1 cup canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced into thin strips
1 cup canned mandarin orange segments packed in water or juice, drained and chopped (and rinsed, if packed in juice)
1 cup chopped scallions
2/3 cup Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together, and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir well before serving. Enjoy!

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

AND FOR DESSERT:
Smores!!!!

or my festive brownie creation:

Prepare the Tastefully Simple Truffle Brownies as directed.
Mix 1/2 a container of lite Cool Whip w/a large scoop of our White Mousse Chiller Mix and top the brownie once cooled.

Then take blueberries and cut strawberries and make a flag design!
Lastly,
Patrick really really wanted a jello dessert, so what we made red jello in a round bowl and then right before serving I am topping that w/Cool whip and then putting blue jello on top of that.

Now it's time to cross fingers for no rain tonight! Happy 4th of July

Heading to the Taste Today!

We have been having a very busy time around the Hamel family to end this wonderful month of June. Thursday I was off doing a great Tastefully Simple party, then on Friday we all participated in Relay For Life Oak Forest, which was fun and tiring. I couldn't find the charger for my camera battery so I have no picks. :-(

Saturday we went to the baseball picnic where they had 5, count them 5! jumpy houses or whatever those giant blow-up things are called. The kids were over the moon over all the jumping choices. Then after all that fun, later in the day, we went to a Graduation party in Flossmoor. The party was a fun and welcome relief for all of us after spending about 45 minutes driving around LOST trying to find the party--because our GPS stopped working due to low battery and because I lost the mapquest directions I printed out.

Sunday we went out for a late lunch with the kids, at which Bryce was like out of his mind w/misbehaving-ness. We figured out that his behavior was due to him being insanely hungry because we didn't realize he didn't eat his breakfast. Yes I know we are super rotten parents to not notice the poor middle child blew off his breakfast. Then Sunday night I had a lovely time at my Tastefully Simple party over by Midway.

Yesterday the kids got to go to day camp and I got to run for a long long time, then I was 'forced' to make good on my promise to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Actually Monday at noon is a good time to venture into CEC as there were minimal other children there. Note to self: keep a good book in the car at all times so as not to be stuck at CEC w/o a book.

And today in about an hour I am off to the Taste of Chicago. Hopefully we'll be able to see the Barenaked Ladies and hopefully it won't rain. It is about 25 degrees cooler today than the last time I went to the Taste w/K. (Summer 2007) On that day it was I believe a heat index of 123 degrees Celsius.

When it comes to the Taste I am of the opinion. 1. don't take children. 2. only get 'taste' portions so you can try more! Number 1 is already accompished and so all I have to do today is accomplish number 2. A very do-able to-do list!





Taste Portions I'm thinking I'll try:

12 - The Grill on the Alley
909 N. Michigan Ave.

¢ Gazpacho with Chopped Avocado and Chives; Grilled Anjou Pear Salad with Walnuts and Maytag Blue Cheese

48 - Las Tablas Colombian Steakhouse
2942 N. Lincoln Ave.
(Crunchy Plantain Chips and Sweet Plantain Wedges)
¢ Verdes (Crunchy Plantains)


31 - Polo Café and Catering Bridgeport U.S.A.
3322 S. Morgan St.
¢ Garlic-Mozzarella Cheese Bread; Crispy Noodle Shrimp

30 - Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
958 W. Wrightwood Ave.
¢ Chopped Salad; Bruschetta

54 - Adobo Grill
2005 W. Division St.
¢ Churros; Cheese Empanada

What I am crazy about this summer.

My friend K who is a big fan of reptiles has always liked the Sobe and the Sobe commericials. Me I've found the Sobe commericals on the creepy side. That aside I have to say that I am completely addicted to their new Sobe lifewater 0 calories drink sweetened w/"PureVia" ie Stevia (a natural sweetener the Whole Foods crowds are familiar with I am sure.

The Sobe Lifewater flavor that totally rocks is the Fuji Apple Pear. I am buying it like it is going out of style, it tastes yummy and fruity, but doesn't have that fake sugar aftertaste or calorie rich high fructose corn syrup. I was really glad to find a BOGO coupon on their website!

http://www.sobeworld.com/

And what is the perfect meal to accompany the Sobe Lifewater 0 cal? A McDonalds Southwestern Salad. Oh it is so good. The grilled chicken is covered with this yummy cilantro lime glaze. Only 320 calories and 9 grams of fat w/o dressing. however it is worth it to me to pour on some of the Paul Newman Southwestern Salad dressing.

I couldn't find a pic of it online. I guess next time I get one I'll have to take a pic. Here is a description:

Tangy, warm, cilatro-lime glazed chicken (grilled or cripsy), poblano peppers, roasted tomatoes, crispy chili-lime tortilla strips, black beans, fire-roasted corn, cheddar-jack cheese, lime 1/4 slice,

I could eat it everyday for lunch!

How to Make a Butterfly Cake - video on DisneyFamily.com

How to Make a Butterfly Cake - video on DisneyFamily.com

Shared via AddThis

This is what I'll be attempting as the cake for Anna's family bday party. I'm going to make a white cake butterfly and a devil food cake butterfly.

tomorrow day camp starts! wahooooo!!!

Not that I am looking forward to day camp or anything..

I've got their little camp outfits laid out. The water and a snacks are ready to go. I've got my running clothes all ready to hit the paths down south and I've spent the last 90 minutes getting my audible.com account reopened and the 4th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series (Dead to the World) is now finally in my ipod. So maybe you are saying:
1. Victoria is audible.com not very easy to use?

No audible is very easy to use and filled with directions on how to get your audible books right into your itunes library--it was Windows I was having problems with because Windows doesn't like itunes!

Or maybe you are saying..
2. So let me get this straight, the kids are going to day camp and you are going to spend the time running? Isn't that as much of a torture as kid wrangling?

No it's nice and peaceful on a walking/running/biking path. Definitely much more peaceful to listen to a nice Vampire Mystery than kids fighting.

I have no funny kid anecdotes today because of this conversation after church:

Patrick or Bryce says something funny--I cannot remember which of the two said it or what they said, my brain has all drained out at this point but earlier today I laughed and said: Patrick or Bryce that was funny!
Anna says:
"How come you never say I am funny?" This is of course accompanied by her pouting and crossing her arms very dramatically.

And here is where I made my mistake, I said:
"Anna all my friends think you are very funny. I put the things you say on facebook and my friends laugh and laugh and they say 'hey! we need an Anna story!!! And I then say I also share the funny things you say Patrick. And Bryce you too.

Apparently they all want to be on stage. They are craving the limelight and for hours today they tried very hard to be funny. Which meant that I got to listen to lots and lots of poop jokes. Potty humor at its finest it was not!

this and that

So on the Tastefully Simple front I have officially earned my place for a free all-inclusive trip to Cancun in April 2010, which will be perfect as by the time April rolls around I am at my tired of cold weather wits end. Now once I add 1 more person to my team then I'll also have Tom's spot reserved which is even more perfect as I am at my wits end having Tom point out to me that I get to go on all kinds of travels for free or almost free because of my Tastefully Simple business. So yippee!

On the home front, the children made a mess and this is what Bryce told his brother and sister:
"you should both be ashamed of yourselves, you think it's a garbage can in here."

tell em bryce!

But the really funny thing today is from Patrick. Earlier today he said that he was going to make a spongebob shrine. I didn't take him seriously, but then I came home tonight to this in his room.

Vacation Pics!!