Mamma Chia!

I am not new to the benefits of Chia Seeds, I've recently switched from Ground Flaxseed to Chia in my smoothies . . . . but ever since I read Chia Lookin' Swell over at Crunchy Betty (Subscribe, she rocks and is very humorous!) whenever I look at one I giggle . . . *fairy eyes*
My mom has had me using them from six months.  They are a complete protein source (read: brain food!) and a balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Which my inflamed body can always use!
Which I had not read before I started adding them to our morning oatmeal . . .but really helps explain my 10 year old stepson's reaction to them.  Of course, he didn't notice that I had been adding them to his oatmeal for at least a week. 

I had to run to the East side of town today for an account, so I stopped at Pet People for rat food.  Our rats are picky, they refuse to eat anything but Oxbow Regal Rat Food. I've tried, they choose to redecorate with any other food. I think if it would fit through the bars of their cage, they would throw anything else back at me.  Seriously, they are awesome pets!  They will be a year old in a couple of weeks!

Whenever I stop there, I park in between Pet People and Whole Foods and hit two birds with one stone. (Which reminds me, I forgot to grab more Chia Seeds!  Oops!)

Anywho, I grabbed a snack for on the way home. Cut fresh mango and a bottle of Mamma Chia. I decided on the Coconut Mango! Yum!!!  Click Here for a Coupon

It is a juice drink, lightly sweetened with agave and it has a serving of Chia Seeds in it. It is delicious! However, it was also $3. Yipes!

It got me to thinking that I can make something very similar, using stuff I regularly keep on hand.
So, I washed the bottle out and put a tablespoon of Chia Seeds in it. Added about 4 ounces of Lakewood Organic Tart Cherry Juice, a teaspoon of raw honey and topped off the 10 Ounce Bottle with filtered water.
If you've heard the Buzz about Tart Cherry Juice from Dr. Oz. Tart Cherry Juice is a good source of melatonin.  When I can find them, I buy bags of frozen tart cherries and make a smoothie with them and a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder.  Since I need to take my immunosuppressants with food, this helps protect my tummy and helps me sleep.

Anyway, my DIY Chia Drink was delicious!
When I'm on the West Side tomorrow, I'll stop at  Earth Fare and see if they have Organic Tart Cherry Concentrate.  So I can mix up my own, as $4.50 a bottle is a bit steep . . .
I'll take a pic of my drink tomorrow and Pin it!
Sweet Dreams Folks! Let me know how you like this drink. Or if you have any other recipes!  I'd love to hear . . . This would probably be really good with Tamarind Nectar (If anyone knows of a brand WITHOUT high fructose corn syrup, PLEASE let me know!) . . . .a la Agua Fresca  . . . yum!

Finally A Calculator that I can use on Standardized tests . . .

So, as you know, I am a full time student at Cleveland State University.
Last year (2010-2011) I was taking classes at Cuyahoga Community College.  One of my classes required a TI-84, which is a great calculator, but since it is programmable it is not approved for standardized tests.  I recall, in high school, when we needed a TI-81, we learned really early on that you could store info in it . . . Portable cheat sheet . . .

I have ordered several calculators this semester, trying to find one that did everything I needed, but was standardized test approved.  Finally I found a winner, the TI 36X Pro . . . .

This baby even has a quadratic function . . . which saves a LOT of potential error and TIME!
So, please learn from my disdain!  This calculator does all of the basic functions of a TI-84 and then some!  And, at Amazon, it is Prime eligible! 
I highly recommend a Prime Student account to any and all students . . .Free shipping, during special events free 1 day or 2 day shipping, Streaming Video online (ours goes through our Blu-ray Player), all for one annual fee . . . (No, I don't get anything for that recommendation, I'm just trying to save you some fundage!  ;) )
With all of these calculators, once I am done with them, my stepson will be ready for them . . .

Easter Eggs . . . .

Have you ever had farm fresh eggs?
They are my absolute favorite . . .
In honor of the holiday, I made eggs for my hubby yesterday morning (he adores farm fresh eggs), as a classmate had brought a few dozen in to share.

Now, the eggs you buy at the store have been washed prior to packaging. 

However, farm fresh eggs are usually just wiped off, so as not to disturb the bloom (a protective coating on the egg shell).   That doesn't mean you should wash your fresh eggs before you refrigerate them.  Just wash them with cool water and soap right before use.

 One thing you will notice about your eggs is that the yolks will be a brilliant yellow-orange.  They whites will also be less runny.

 This egg was from my classmates' "Easter Egg" Chicken.  Instead of a white shell, it has a bluish tint!  I thought it was perfect for this weekend!

If you have never had farm fresh eggs, I highly recommend them!  Check out this post from Simple Bites about how to find fresh eggs in your area!

Buffalo Sauce

A friend asked me to write down my "Buffalo Sauce" recipe for her.

So, I thought I'd share it with all of you as well. Warning, it isn't for those on a "low fat" or "low sodium" diet . . . . which is probably why I only make it on special occasions. It's super easy.
Here's what you'll need:
1 to 1 1/2 cups (or to taste) Hot Pepper Sauce (Frank's or Red Devil work well)
4 Tbsp Butter (Unsalted if you like)
2 to 3 Tbsp Blue Cheese Crumbles
Ground White Pepper, to taste.

Now, if you don't like Blue Cheese, hear me out . . . You really cannot taste it, but it provides a fuller flavor.  My husband adores this sauce, but if I am out of Blue Cheese, "It's Missing something!"  He's not a blue cheese kinda guy!

Melt Butter on low.

Add Pepper Sauce. Stir.

Add Blue Cheese, stirring until thoroughly melted and combined. Dang it!  I forgot to take a pic before stirring.  Can you see how it looks creamier?

Add White Pepper.

Allow to simmer on low for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Voila!  It takes about 30 minutes and you can make buffalo wings in the comfort of your own home.

You can put this in a jar and store it in the fridge.

Obviously, you can toss wings in it.
More often, I place boneless/skinless Chicken in a Baking dish, cover with sauce and bake until cooked through.
It is also great to make "loaded fries" with . . .

Oven bake fries, place on a platter, layer with shredded cheese (cheddar) and drizzle with Buffalo Sauce. Garnish with green onions if you choose. Serve with a side of Blue cheese dressing. Great for a Super Bowl Party!

Would you help my friend . . . .

If you are on Facebook, please check out the following:

"We're trying to win a contest that will help us pay for the rest of our wedding. Anyone that has ever had to pay for anything for a wedding let alone a wedding themselves should know what I mean. This should be the link: https://www.facebook.com/davidsbridal?v=app_166505043464802&app_data=action%3Dcontest_view_entry%26id%3D1982821

If it doesn't bring you to the "Share your love" contest please log on to Facebook and go to David's Bridal: https://www.facebook.com/davidsbridal

Then click on the tab that says "VOTE NOW: Share Your Love. We are on page 150 with the name Jessica. You can vote once daily.

Sharing this amongst your friends would be much appreciated also!"

 

I am helping Jessica by making customized accents for her wedding:

Card Box: 

https://apps.facebook.com/offerpop/Contest.psp?c=73108&u=14756&a=254553244581393&p=7884763294&v=Entry&id=238685&rest=1

Guest Book:

https://apps.facebook.com/offerpop/Contest.psp?c=73108&u=14756&a=254553244581393&p=7884763294&v=Entry&id=238685&rest=1

 

Thanks in advance folks! 

Storing the other half of that large onion . . . .

If you're like me, you don't always use the whole large onion in the same recipe. So what to do?
You could put it in a ziploc bag and place it back in the fridge, where it may get lost and turn into a creepy, gooey, bluish mass . . . Tupperware made these cool containers specifically for this purpose that my mom has.  It hangs below the shelf of your fridge, where you can see it!

I don't have room in my tiny kitchen for extra containers (appliances, etc) with only one use.

I decided to use an idea for making smoothies, etc that I saw on Pinterest a while back. I popped the onion that I was going to use into a mason jar,, placed my blender base on it and blended.

 I chose to puree it . . . it is going in soup and I didn't have time to sautee it this morning.

You could easily use a larger, small mouthed jar and chop it with your blender.

I flipped it over, wiped the rim, placed and lid & ring on top and set it in the fridge for later this week.

Sponge Sanitation

A month or so ago, my beloved dishwasher died . . . or at least its $500+ control panel did.  It has now been re-purposed as an extra large drying rack.
Since all of our dishes are now washed by hand, we have the lovely task of keeping kitchen sponges clean and stink free.
Previously, prior to my dishwasher dying, I would throw one on the dishwasher with each cycle.  Rotating, so one was always fresh.

Now that I no longer have that luxury, at the end of every wash session I throw one in the microwave for a minute and thirty seconds.  Making sure that it is thoroughly saturated and slightly soapy.  If it is too dry, it will burn . . . alas, I know this from experience.

My mom turned me on to this technique when I was in college. Circa 1997/1998, when the only way we had to clean our dishes wash the teeny tiny sink in our dorm room.  The first time my roommates and I tried this, the sponge was not wet enough, it was winter and our 6th floor dorm room (on the side of a mountain) wreaked of "burn sponge" (so did the rest of the floor .. . . oops).  We had the windows open for a few days, only closing them at night.

Another plus to this is, once you've nuked the sponge and let it cool for a minute or two, you can also use it to scrub the inside of the microwave.  The steam will have softened any particles or over flow. . . .