Crock Pot Cooking

The temperatures may be cooling down, but things in the kitchen are certainly heating up.  With the cold weather, I prepare a lot of meals in my crock pot.  I had purchased the Hamilton Beach 5 Quart Stay or Go Slow Cooker from Bed Bath and Beyond for only $30!   The size is perfect for cooking everything from a six pound chicken to two three pound roasts!  It has a secured lid, which avoids spillage when taking it to parties, etc.

Recently, I made a roast with carrots, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt/pepper, with a little beef broth.  I set the crock pot to low.  After 6 hours, the roast was moist and tender and the house smelled delicious.  I added more vegetables and water, as I will be making soups with the leftover roast.  The next night, we had homemade roast soup, which I poured over egg noodles. 

I have made chicken, roast, soups, chili and ribs in the crock pot.  I love the idea that you can get multiple meals out of one piece of meat.  Not to mention, it slowly cooks the meat, which makes it very tender, juicy, and full of flavor!

There are many cookbooks available for many more recipes for using your crock pot.  One of my favorite crock pot cookbooks is "Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook", which offers 1400 recipes!  Be sure to check out the Crock Pot Girls on Facebook.  They offer many recipes using a crock pot and fans exchange recipes with each other.  Be sure to check out their website for more recipes and uses for your crock pot. 

The next time you don't have the time to cook or want something to warm you up, be sure to take out the crock pot and cook you and your family a delicious, hearty meal.  You will be happy to come home and be welcomed by the smell of a delicious dinner.

It Is Never Too Early

There are only 102 days until Christmas!  I cannot believe how quickly the year has flown by.  It seems that retailers are displaying Christmas items earlier and earlier.  It is only the middle of September and the shelves are stocked with Christmas items.  The retailers seem to skip over Halloween and Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas decor.

On that note, it is never too early to start your Christmas shopping.  With the struggling economy, retailers are holding more sales and offering more coupons, which is a great time to start your Christmas shopping.

With so many people to buy for, I have put a limit on how much to spend on each person. I search the Internet for my favorite stores to find out if they are offering any sales and/or coupons. 

I hope to be finished with my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving.  I have ideas for people, but for others, they are very difficult to buy for, like my husband.  However, this year with gifts, I have become very creative, which also helps to cut down the cost. 

Just remember that it is never too early to start your Christmas shopping.  Be creative with your purchases and try to never buy anything at full price.  You will feel a lot better knowing that your holiday shopping is complete and you can enjoy everything that comes with the holidays.

Happy shopping!

Atkins, Jenny Craig, and South Beach...O My!

Having the perfect body would be ideal, but one cannot get everything that they want.  However, if you are unhappy with your body, there are healthy alternatives to get into shape.  The most important is to be happy and healthy, as the worst thing you can do to your body is deprive it of food and the necessary nutrients.

There are many different types of diets available, in order to help you lose weight.  Dieting is not  a quick fix, as a lot of work is required from counting calories to working out.  An unhealthy alternative to losing weight would be to take diet pills, but that is something that doctors do not recommend.

Personally, I have taken part in the South Beach Diet, which is a three phase diet plan.  Phase 1 is two weeks long, with no carbs.  In the next two phases, carbs are reintroduced, but in moderation.  South Beach Diet's website offers shopping lists, recipes and tips to help you move through the three phases. With this diet and any others, exercise is a key element to achieving your weight loss goals.

Dining out at your favorite restaurant or grabbing a few drinks with friends can cause you to get off track, however there are ways to still enjoy it all, with sticking with your diet plan.  Allow yourself one cheat day a week, where you can indulge into something that may go against your diet, however do not eat and drink everything in sight!

Outdoor activities is a great way to burn calories and enjoy some fresh air.  Many household chores like mowing the yard or cleaning the house is another good way to work out.

 If you cannot afford a monthly gym membership, you can purchase a video game or DVD.  Since John has a Playstation 3, I work out using EA Sports Active 2 and Zumba!  These 'games' are available on all gaming counsels.

When you decide to diet, research all of your options and find the best one for you.  Ask friends if they have used any of the diets and find out what their experience was with each of them.  If possible, find a friend or relative, who will take part in dieting with you, as it is always good to have someone by your side motivating you.

End of Summer, beginning of Fall

Labor Day is right around the corner, which marks the end of summer. Wearing white after Labor Day is considered taboo, however it all depends on where you live. When I lived in Florida, everyone wore white, but now that I live up north, I will not be wearing white after Monday.

September 23 marks the first day of fall, my favorite time of the year!  With the change of seasons, come with the change of weather.  There is nothing like the cool crisp fall air.  Along with the change of weather, comes with the change of wardrobe.   The shorts and tank tops will be put away and the jeans, sweaters and jeans will be put back into the closet. 

Living up north, there are many fall related activities to take part in.  There are corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin patches and much more!  Ever since living in Florida, I also got my pumpkin from the grocery store, however this time around I will be going to the pumpkin patch to pick out my very own pumpkin!

The colors of red, orange and yellow just say "fall".  Since becoming a homeowner, I have decorated for every holiday and season.  Since this will be my first fall in Annapolis, I had a lot of fun purchasing fall decor for the home.  Even though it is the beginning of September, several retail stores have had fall decor out.  Recently, I went to Kohls and purchased a table cloth, hurricane globe, and pumpkin scented candles.  As excited as I am, I am patiently waiting for the first official day of autumn to decorate the house!



What to do after the I Do's

The vows have been exchanged, the “I Do’s” have been said, and the honeymoon is over, it is time to start your lives together as husband and wife. From preserving your wedding gown to changing your name, there are many tasks that need to be taken care of.

The top priority after getting married is writing the thank you notes. Your guests have taken the time in finding the perfect wedding gift for you, so you must return the favor by sending them a thank you note. The first step is to write a list of gifts, which you have received. My husband and I split up the writing duties, however to make them more personal, we signed our own names. I suggest that once you return from your honeymoon you start writing the thank you notes.

Changing your last name is a very exhilarating time for any bride. When you are changing your name, you must have the original marriage license. Your first stop in legally changing your last name will be the Social Security Administration office. Once you have received your new social security card, motor on down to the DMV to get your new driver’s license. Then, it is time to contact your bank, credit card companies, and employer. It is very exciting to see everything with your new last name!

Ordering your wedding photos is a must “to do” after your wedding. In some cases, you will need to order your photos directly from your photographer, while in other instances you can order the prints yourself. Fill your home with your wedding pictures and make enlargements of your favorites. You will have these pictures for the rest of your life, so it is ok to have hundreds of them in albums, frames, etc.

Many brides would like to keep their wedding gown for sentimental value or to pass it on to a future daughter or family member. The best way to preserve your wedding dress is to take it to a company, who specializes in preserving your wedding dress. The price of preserving your gown can range from $99 to $300; however it is worth the investment. Another trend is to donate your wedding dress. Brides Across America is an organization that will help military brides with the gown of their dreams.

Life as a newlywed is simply blissful. There are a lot of things to look forward to like signing a document with your new last name and introducing your groom as your husband! You will find yourself staring at your husband’s wedding ring, constantly saying “husband” and looking at your wedding photos. Enjoy this time together as newlyweds, because before you know it you’ll be celebrating your 25th wedding anniversary.

Wedding Day Advice

After months of planning, big day has finally arrived!  You have been dreaming of your wedding day, ever since you were a little girl.   Your wedding day will be the happiest day of your life, one that you will never forget.  I married my husband, John, on July 30 in Boca Raton, Florida.  My wedding day was everything I had dreamed of and much more.  From beginning to end, the day was absolutely beautiful.  I wish to share some of my advice with you, to ensure that you have an unforgettable wedding day. 

All of the excitement and nerves will set in the night before the wedding, which may cause you to lose some of your beauty sleep.  However, I suggest that the night before your wedding, try to get to bed early.  Depending on what time your wedding will begin your day will start off early.  No bride wants dark circles under her eyes, when all eyes are on you.

A piece of advice, which my aunt has told me for many years, was to drink plenty of water.  When I was getting ready, I was very excited to walk down the aisle, that I barely ate, so instead my aunt kept giving me water through a straw (you don’t want to mess up your lipstick), so I will not become dehydrated.  Not to mention that it was nearly 100 degrees on that day.

After the ceremony has ended, take some time with your husband to take everything in.  The day will go by very fast and you need to share some special moments with your husband.  If possible, try to see the reception site before the guests arrive.  You will appreciate the beauty of everything with no one in the room. 

The most important advice that I can give any bride is to have fun!  This is the most important day of your life and there is no need to sweat the small stuff.  Dance with your friends and family, be goofy, and give plenty of kisses to your husband.  One minute you are getting your makeup done and the next, you are leaving the reception to spend the first night together as husband and wife. 

My husband and I cannot stop talking about our wedding day.  There is nothing that we would do any different.  It is a great feeling when you say “husband” for the first time and you will find yourself saying it over and over again throughout the night.  Enjoy your day, because it will be over in a blink of an eye.  Congratulations to all of the beautiful brides, who will soon become a Mrs. 

Shake, Shake, Shake

The day started off to be a normal Tuesday, with a cup of coffee and a lot of phone calls to make and emails to respond to.  The only thing on the agenda was getting my hair done, but little did I know that my day would be shaken up, literally!

At 1:53 PM, the house started to shake and I thought it was because of the house construction up the street, but then then shaking became more violent.  The house began to sway back and forth, while picture frames rattled and I kept thinking that the house as going to collapse.  After nearly two minutes, the shaking had stopped and the neighbors had poured into the streets and that is when I heard "I think that was an earthquake."

I frantically attempted to call John, but the phone lines were down.  Thankfully, the Internet was still working, so I sent him an IM that said "Call me ASAP", his response was one word "EARTHQUAKE".

It was by far the scariest moment of my life.  One minute I am folding laundry and the next, I am hearing "earthquake" all over the news.  It was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, with the epicenter being in Virginia.

Thankfully there was no damage to the house, just a few items, which had fallen from the storage shelves.  There was minimal damage throughout the city, but thankfully no one was harmed in the earthquake.

I survived my first earthquake, and it was a very scary experience.  Now, we must prepare for Hurricane Irene, which is scheduled to hit the area on Sunday.  At least with hurricanes, I know the routine!