March 4th, 2012

Oprah’s Next Chapter

Oprah Winfrey’s new show called “Oprah’s Next Chapter” has a great episode with Paula Deen tonight (Sunday, March 4, 2012) at 9pm ET on the OWN Network, but I got a sneak peek of the show when I was at Blissdom 2012.

Oprah's Next Chapter Preview at Blissdom

As a wife, as a Mom, and as a professional Blogger with various blogging deadlines, I usually don’t have an hour to spare. Let alone allocating it in front of the television set. But this show, oh my my goodness, this show is hilarious and I can’t wait to sit down every Sunday night.

Granted, I have only seen one show, and time will tell, but the format of it is fresh, gut-bustingly funny and real. Here are some of the statements I tweeted as I watched the show with Oprah interviewing Paula Deen.

Blissdom Oprah Tweets One
Oprah Tweets Blissdom Two
Oprah Tweets Blissdom Three

Since “Oprah’s Next Chapter” is not on mainstream channels, it is a bit hard to find, which is why I never had come across it before. To find the channel in your neighborhood, just type in your zip code and service provider. Really simple. Anyway, you know where to find me on Sunday nights now. (Plus, it is a great excuse to kick back and pop some popcorn!)

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March 3rd, 2012

Fabric Softeners

If you are wondering whether to use fabric softener in your laundry, the answer is yes – unless you have performance fabrics, like athletic shorts or sports tops with wicking properties, or other fabrics that are infused with SPF coatings. You can’t use it on cloth diapers either, as it can impact the wicking ability too, if you know what I mean.

Typically, you want to stay away from using them on such clothing because the oils in fabric softeners can deteriorate the wicking or sun protection performance of the fabric. However, there are two new products on the market that you can use to provide fabulous fragrance, and won’t harm your performance-based items.

As a marathon runner, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to finally see these products. As a Mom with tons of stinky laundry (my husband still insists on wearing cotton t-shirts to work out in, I have my son’s soiled cloth diapers and my dogs’ pee pads too), I weep with gratitude.

The first is by Downy called UnStopables. It is an in-wash scent booster that you can use on active wear. They are little microbeads that you put directly in the wash and you can control how much you want or how little to control the fragrance power. Here is a video I took when it launched a few months ago. It does contain dyes so I use it only for our adult items.

The second is by Purex. It’s called Purex Crystals. They are 92% natural and freshens your clothes for weeks and not days. Same as Downy UnStopables, they go in the wash, you can control the amount and since it is free of oils, you can safely be used on active wear. I feel comfortable using it on my son’s clothes and sheets from time to time.

But both products deliver and are worry-free. It is also easy to remember to add to the wash, compared to dryer sheets, which I always seem to forget. So while I wish I could make your laundry piles disappear (though there are some cool apps for that, at least it smells nice as you spend time folding it all. And since your laundry stays smelling nicer, longer – well, maybe you can miss a load or two. They won’t notice!

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Disclosure: I received a free Jockey sports bra and a container of Purex Crystals as part of the Purex Insiders Blogger Campaign. However, the thoughts and opinion are my own. 

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February 22nd, 2012

Laundry Apps

smart_phone_iconLet’s face it. We do laundry all the time. But despite our laundry laurels, there are time when we get stumped. Whether it is an ink stain or an oil stain, or whether to use fabric softener or not, I want a go-to resource. Not just “Google General”. So if you have a smart phone, it may be worth downloading some laundry apps to help. Though I still covet this GE Washer and Dryer that has built-in technology to handle any laundry challenge – like my husband who insists on wearing cotton clothing when he works out. (Ewww.)

One to consider is an app (iPhone and Blackberry) from Purex. It has a Stain Guide with best ways to remove tough laundry stains by fabric type. It has Fabric Care with instructions on how to wash and dry specific fabric types. It also includes a Clothing Label Decoder to decipher all the laundry care symbols on your clothes, and even has a Timer – two countdown timers are available to remind you about what is in the wash or dryer.

Tide has an app called Tide Stain Brain (Android, iPhone) with more than 85 different stains with on-the-go tips and easy, step-by-step washing instructions. If you just want a laundry reminder, these for the Android and iPhone have decent review. Clorox has a laundry advisor app for the iPhone and Android phones too.

I hope some of these apps make laundry duties more manageable and helpful. But remember not to wash your phone.

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post.

 

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February 17th, 2012

Quinn Popcorn

When I was grocery shopping last weekend at Whole Foods, I saw this in a display section.

Quinn Popcorn Box

I don’t know what drew me to it. The box design? The fact that it was microwave popcorn? Well, whatever the reason, the ploy worked. The really cool popcorn flavors sweetened the pot. Parmesan & Rosemary? Lemon & Sea Salt? Vermont Maple & Sea Salt?

Yes, please.

Then I saw that is was all natural popcorn, with no hydrogenated oils, no preservatives, GMO free, rBGH free, with a pure bag that is just paper. That sealed the deal. I squirreled it away in my shopping cart.

Just like ordinary microwave popcorn, you put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Then you get to be a bit of a culinary wonder.

Quinn Popcorn Spices

You add the separate packet of GMO free canola oil into the bag. Give it a shake. Then you add the packet of natural spices. Shimmy shake again. Then dig in or put into a bowl for sharing. Though, really, you may not want to share.

But I had to fork over the goods, because my toddler got a whiff. Actually, I think the popping noise in the microwave gave me away. (Microwave traitor!) I think he ate more than his fair share, so if you wonder if it passes the kid test, I would say a strong yes.

I love how the product, and the packaging, is pure as can be. I love how it is a Massachusetts-based company. (I’m a bit biased.) I also love their website and super cute instructions on the packaging. Oh, and this is just the first round. More posh popcorn is coming down the pike. And they are totally open to feedback.

Quinn Popcorn Pack

So for a fancy popcorn and wine party (great idea, eh?) or a Saturday afternoon movie fest, pop a bag, know it is free of yucky stuff and still yummy too.

Happy noshing. (You can thank me later.)

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Image Credit: ©CharleneChronicles

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I just loved the popcorn and thought I would share to popcorn goodness. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For ingredients and calorie information, visit their website directly.

 

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February 9th, 2012

Popover Recipe – BLT Steakhouse

BLT Steakhouse PopoversWhen I was in New York a couple of months ago, my hubby took me out for my Birthday. Not only had it been four months since we had gone out to eat together, without a child in tow, but being in my first trimester of pregnancy, I had pretty specific requirements as to what I wanted to eat and where.

We opted to eat at a restaurant we tried when I was last in New York for a getaway weekend three years ago. The place is called BLT Steakhouse in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The place was just as fantastic as I remembered it.

I think I swooned when I took my first bite of steak, and the knowledge of the staff in all things steak-related is top notch. (Especially since I had to have a well-done steak-they recommended a great cut that could be thoroughly cooked and still be moist and delicious.) Sides and appetizers weren’t afterthoughts. They were just as amazing as the main dishes; including their famous complimentary Popovers.

The popovers were fabulous. Larger than your fist, warm, soft and flaky. (I think I am swooning again.) Since we probably won’t be able to do a New York getaway for another three years, I snagged the recipe. So here it is and it is totally worth making. You will be a rock star at your next dinner party.

What you Need:

4 Cups Milk, Warmed
8 Eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 heaping tbsp salt
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
Popover Pan

How to Make:

Makes 12. Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat oven and pan to 350 degrees. Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add the dry mixture to the eggs and combine until mostly smooth. Once combined remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non stick vegetable spray. Fill each popover cup 3/4 full and top each with 2 1/2 cups of gruyere cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Image Credit: Williams-Sonoma

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February 7th, 2012

Be Cupid for Valentine’s Day

I cannot believe Valentine’s Day is one week away. While the hubby and I don’t do too much for each other, my brothers and I do something special for my Mom and Grandmother. My Grandfather passed away 12 years ago and my Father is in Afghanistan – so there is even more reason for us kids to step up to the plate and share a little love to the matriarchs of the family.

But we are usually scrambling and searching websites for decent flowers or the drugstore aisles for decent candy. Then scouring the internet for discount codes. This year, I’m on it, and I am sharing the love. Here are two awesome discounts for fabulous florals from Pro-Flowers and yummy chocolate dipped berries from Shari’s Berries. Two great companies that you can trust to deliver the prettiest and freshest flowers and berries. Trust them – they’ll make you look good. With the huge options you can find on their respective websites, you definitely will see something fabulous too.

Blogger Logo_Vday20

Blogger SB Logo_Vday20

 

So go. Now. Order flowers for your Mom, or order chocolate dipped strawberries for your significant other. Plus, since I heart you guys so much, I’m helping you to rock the V-day love fest even more: I’m giving away a $50 code for Pro-Flowers or Shari’s Berries. Yes, fifty smack-a-roos.

Rep Lips

Now you totally can be the cupid of Valentine’s Day.

 

 

 

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Rules: (Gotta have them)

+Leave a comment about this post; US entrants welcome. Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so I can contact you if you win. (Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK!). For your safety, please do not put your email in the actual comment. Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded. Entry period closes at 11:59PM ET, Friday, February 10, 2012.

+ One lucky winner (drawn randomly via “And the Winner is” WordPress plugin) will receive a $50 code to ProFlowers or Shari’s Berries. No substitutions and the winner will be notified directly via e-mail who has roughly 48 hours to respond and claim their prize. They then will be listed back at this post using first name only.

+A minimum of 5 people must enter in order for the Giveaway to occur. Winner must comply with all rules mentioned here, or a new winner will be selected. Charlene Chronicles has the final decision on the winner and is not responsible for wrong email addresses or notification being tagged as spam. Full legal disclosures can be found here.

++Or Tweet using this link for extra entries.

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Disclosure: I received a $50 ProFlowers code for flowers for my Mother and Grandmother, but the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Image Credit: Used with permission and via © Jenny Rollo (stock.xchng.com)

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February 5th, 2012

Chicken Wing Cupcakes

There are only a matter of hours until the Super Bowl XLVI kickoff. Regardless of what team you root for, or who ultimately wins, the best part of the game is the food.

While I wrote a post about fun Super Bowl food ideas, and even shared Coloring Sheets for the kids…..here is one recipe you should try.

While you can order from this Albany, New York bakery (who came up with this lovely creation) directly, I’m sure you can pull this treat off at home. If you really wanted to. And really, who wouldn’t want to.

If you can’t make it in time for the game tonight, serve it at your next basketball bash or baseball BBQ. You need corn muffin baking mix. Then mix a small amount of blue cheese into a can of cream cheese frosting.

Oh, and top with a chicken wing.

Score.

ChickenWingCupcakes

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Source: MyFoxBoston.com

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February 4th, 2012

February Photo A Day Challenge

When I saw this photography challenge, I decided to jump in and document 29 days of photos based on the daily prompts. I like the challenge of being creative and hopefully by the end of the month, my photography skills might improve? The former is doable, the latter probably not so much, but here are all the pictures I have taken as part of the February Photo A Day Challenge.

February Photo a Day Challenge

 

Day One (View) and Day Two (Words)

#FebPhotoaDay 1 and 2

Day Three (Hands) and Day Four (Stranger)

#FebPhotoaDay 3 and 4

 

Day Five (10am)

#FebPhotaDay 5

Day Six (Dinner)

#FebPhotoaDay 6

 

Day Seven (Button)

#FebPhotoaDay 7

 

Day Eight (Sun)

#FebPhotoaDay 8

 

Day Nine (See Day 14 below…)

 

Day Ten (Self-Portrait)

#FebPhotoaDay 10 (Self-Portrait)

 

Day Eleven (What Makes You Happy)

#FebPhotoaDay 11 (What Makes You Happy)

 

Day Twelve (Inside Your Closet)

#FebPhotoaDay 12 (Inside Your Closet)

 

Day Thirteen (Blue)

#FebPhotoaDay 13 (Blue)

 

Day Nine and Fourteen (Front Door and Heart)

#FebPhotoaDay 9 and 14

 

Day Fifteen (Phone)

#FebPhotoaDay 15

 

Day Sixteen (Something New)

#FebPhotoaDay 16

 

Day Seventeen (Time)

#FebPhotoaDay 17

 

Day Eighteen (Drink) A Pumpkin Smoothie

#FebPhotoaDay 18

 

Day Nineteen (Something I Hate to Do)

#FebPhotoaDay 19

 

Day Twenty (Handwriting)

#FebPhotoaDay 20

 

Day Twenty-One (Fav Photo of Me)

#FebPhotoaDay 21

 

Day Twenty-Two (Where I Work)

#FebPhotoaDay 22

 

Day Twenty-Three (Shoes) Famous Footwear sneakers from Blissdom

#FebPhotoaDay 23 (Shoes)

 

Day Twenty-Four (Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet)

#FebPhotoaDay 24 (Inside your Bathroom Cabinet)

 

Day Twenty-Five (Green) TY Beanie Balls

#FebPhotoaDay 25 (Green)

 

Day Twenty-Six (Night)

#FebPhotoaDay 26 (Night)

 

Day Twenty-Seven (Something You Ate)

#FebPhotoaDay 27 (Something you ate)

 

Day Twenty-Eight (Money) A Piggy Bank where you store Money

#FebPhotoaDay 28 (Money)

 

Day Twenty-Nine (What I am Listening to)…My dogs snoring

#FebPhotoaDay 29 (What listening to)

 

Needless to say, I was glad I participated in this internet photography challenge. Did I remember to take a picture everyday? No. Did I take the best photographs? No. But I definitely got better and I had fun playing around with sprucing up my photos and trying to find unique ways to interpret the daily prompts. I definitely would not do this every month. But a once a year? Definitely!

Which photograph is your favorite

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February 2nd, 2012

Super Bowl Ideas

FootballThe Super Bowl can be a fun event to get the kids excited – even if your family members are not big sports fans.

Here are some fun crafts to make the big game, big fun.

1. Buy some plain T-shirts at a thrift store or at a local dollar store. Then take some fabric markers found at stores like Michaels or AC Moore (worth the investment) and have the kids draw footballs, cheerleaders, the name of their favorite team, the number of their favorite quarterback, all over the T-shirts. They can sport their custom designed gear on the day of the big game.

2. Buy some pre-made sugar cookie dough and make football cutouts. Bake and then have kids decorate with chocolate frosting and white piping, to make football cookies.

3. As an alternative to cookies, make a sheet cake and then mix green food coloring into white frosting. Have the kids frost the cake green. Take white piping and make lines like you would see on a football field. For goal posts, take popsicle sticks, or lollipop sticks, and glue or tape together. Place on each end of the cake.

To make game day lunch or dinner into a Super Bowl feast, here are some ideas to serve up.

1. Make a fun football dip to serve with veggies or whole grain chips.

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) provolone cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
  • 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, crab, cottage cheese, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Form mixture into a football shape. Arrange some pretzel sticks over the top for football-like ‘laces’. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables. 

2. Make chili or chowder (or buy the stuff premade!) Buy boule bread and hollow out. Serve the chowder or soup in these “super bowls”.

3. Take brown construction paper and wrap around a juice box. Use a white crayon to create football ‘laces’ for a fun way to serve juice.

Serve the cookies or cake you made, wear the t-shirts, and get ready to root for your favorite team! For fun coloring sheets to keep them entertained during the game, visit my post here.

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January 14th, 2012

Football Game Dip Recipe

Shrimp Dip

It is time for football playoffs! and what could be better than an awesome dip recipe to serve during the game.
I love this cottage cheese dip recipe because it is low in fat and calories and high in protein and taste. Plus, you can whip it up in under 15 minutes max. I use Daisy Cottage Cheese because I think the flavor is top notch even with 2% milk fat. Plus, it is made only with four ingredients: cultured skim milk, cream, salt, and Vitamin A Palmitate. Nothing fru-fru or fake. Total touchdown.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked peeled small shrimp, thawed if frozen and patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix the cottage cheese and garlic together. Spread the cottage cheese mixture onto a 9-inch serving platter. Top with the green onion, cayenne pepper, avocado, shrimp, and cilantro. Serve with your favorite dippers, such as crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips. Serves about 10 people (or 5 really hungry ones).

Calories 64 cals
Total Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 39 mg
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sodium 270 mg
Protein 8 g
Total Carbohydrate 3 g

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