Thirty-One's January Specials! Happy New Year!

Our new Spring Patterns start selling on January 4th!!

JANUARY SPECIAL:

January 4th - 31st 

For every $31 you spend, get a "Your Way Collection" item for 50% off!

www.MyThirtyOne.com/PAS

(sorry for the poor quality, this photo was borrowed and I can't make it bigger)

Our new patterns:

Railroad Denim

Woodblock Floral

Punch Bowl

Take It Slow (will be paired with Pin Dot Punch)

(the snails have little inspirations on them like "smile", "believe")

Pink Floral Brushstokes

Pink Cross Pop

Party Punch

Island Damask (pronounced damsk in some areas)

Turquoise Cross Pop

"Your Way" Rectangle in Turquoise

Our new Spring Catalog cover :)

It's Thirty-One's 10th Anniversary!!

Today's lunch: Ginger-topped Chef Salad again... with a twist!

Today's lunch:Iceburg & Green Leaf lettuces, baby spinach, a few sliced mushrooms (I rinse ALL veggies), half bag of pre-cooked Teriyaki chicken strips chopped, half an avocado chopped, half a tomato chopped, half a cucumber seeded and chopped. Topped with Ginger Dressing. YUM!(photo is pre-dressing)

It's what's for Lunch :) Great salad...

Haven't been posting Dinners because it's been repeats...
Today's lunch, however, is so good :)
I worked from 6:45am to 12 and was really craving a great salad ...

small handfuls each of lettuces:
Iceburg
Baby Spinach
Greenleaf

1/2 cucumber, seeded
5 slices pre-cleaned mushrooms
1/2 bag (any brand/style) pre-cooked chicken strips
Ginger Dressing

Rinse all veggies, tear lettuces into bite-size pieces. I always remove seeds from cukes. Cut cukes, chicken and mushrooms into bite-size pieces, mix all with hands, pour dressing over, EAT! And I have a Simply Cranberry for my drink :)

Tomorrow's salad will have the all of the above, plus pieces of avocado & some diced tomato.

Tonight's Supper: Garlic Chicken, French-Style Green Beans, Mac~n~Cheese

Garlic Chicken, French-Style Green Beans, Mac~n~Cheese

Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Chicken tenders or breasts
(Optional) 1-inch ea. Prepared Ginger, and Prepared Cilantro (in a tube)
S&P
1 can French-style Green Beans, rinsed, drained

1 Box Man-n-Cheese, prepared for side dish

Saute' garlic in olive oil in large pan for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add rinsed chicken tenders, cook approx 4-6 minutes on each side checking for done-ness, (approx 8 minutes each side for breasts). Add S&P, (Optional: ginger, and cilantro), stir well to distribute, push chicken to sides of pan. Add beans, stir well and heat through. Serve & enjoy :)

Quick, easy and mostly healthy, for early dinner before my son's choir practice :)

Tonight's Supper: Tilapia, Quinoa, Black Beans and Veggies

There are various ways of making fish and Quinoa... just make them to your own liking :)
Quinoa is a grain found in the specialty areas of certain grocery stores. Red is my fav, but currently I have a bag of white to use up. It is a great replacement for carbs like rice and pasta.

Tonight's Supper: Ginger Garlic Shrimp & Pasta

Ginger Garlic Shrimp & Pasta

1 bag frozen or fresh shrimp, thawed, shelled, rinsed well
1 small package of spaghetti
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
Fresh Parsley
1 inch of each, tubed Cilantro and Ginger
1 tsp minced Garlic
1 pat butter
1 small can diced tomatoes, any flavoring, drained
S&P

In a medium pot, add your water and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Bring to boil, salt lightly, and add spaghetti to cook for approx 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
While that is cooking, thaw, clean and rinse shrimp. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to large skillet, add garlic, and bring to medium heat. When starting to bubble, add cilantro, garlic and parsley. Stir well. Turn dial to between low-and-medium. Add shrimp, stir to coat. let cook 2 minutes. Remember to keep stirring your spaghetti. Stir your shrimp, add butter, salt & pepper (to your taste), and drained tomatoes, stir well. Drain spaghetti well and add to shrimp mix, stir well to coat spaghetti. Serve & enjoy :)
This is my own recipe, just some stuff I had around the house one day months ago. I like it so much I make it every couple of weeks.

Tonight's Dinner: Herb Pan Tilapia with Herb Rice and Zucchini

In  a medium pot, heat 2 cups water with a chicken bullion cube, bring to boil. Add sliced, cleaned zucchini & boil for 2 minutes, remove with slotted spoon and set aside. To still boiling water, add 1 cup white rice, salt, pepper, a couple of light sprinkles of basil, stir well, cover & set heat to LOW, cook 12-15 minutes, checking for readiness by that time. Add finely chopped fresh parsley, stir well, set aside.
While rice is cooking, in large pan add EV Olive Oil, minced garlic... heat garlic a minute, then add Tilapia, cook for 4 minutes on Med/MedHigh heat on each side. Add an inch of tubed, prepared Cilantro and tubed, prepared Ginger (omit if you like)... (found in your produce area). Chop some parsley & stir in. Salt & pepper fish. Shake pan back and forth, then gently turn over fish once more. Add par-boiled zucchini around edges of pan away from fish, salt & pepper all, stir gently around edges to soak up some flavors. Serve all on top of rice.

(Parsley is good for digestion. Ginger is good for body pain and stomach issues.)

What's for Supper? Slow Cooker, Left-over, Spiral Ham Soup!

(addendum: I had to add more water after I started eating this, it was a little strong for me, but the flavor was amazing... it pretty much ended up being a full can of water.)

I also chopped some carrots. Didn't have anything else like celery, onion... 

so just using up what I have :)  (The broth can says 3lbs, the largest can you can buy. Sometimes when I make large soups like these, I need much more than small cans.)

 

This is going to be soooo good! It smells amazing already 

and it's only been 'cooking' as long as I've been prepping it! LOL

BOOKS FOR SALE: religious books, and the entire Harry Potter series

http://www.ebay.com/sch/missslickone2011/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

ALL of my books are in impeccable shape. Once I read them, I store them in a drawer to keep them clean and undamaged.

Book 5 is soft cover

This one has Post office stamp because it was bought on "Day One" in-store

Side view to show no damage to books

Slight upper-left cover fold from when it was shipped to me

Slight fold-mark from when it was shipped to me

Bible Study book

Starbucks' deals for December! (and some in Nov at end of article)

Who loves Starbucks? Then you won’t want to miss out on these deals!

Starbucks will be having 12 days of deals starting December 1st.  Here are a list of the deals:

• December 1st:  Buy any Tumbler or Mug and get a FREE Grande Beverage
• December 2nd: Buy One Get One FREE Starbucks VIA Ready Brew 12 pack or Buy One Get One FREE Tazo Tea Tin
• December 3rd : Buy the featured Brewed Coffee Tumbler and get FREE Coffee  ALL JANUARY
• December 4th:   Get a Stainless Steel Tumbler for $9.95 and get any 1lb Christmas Blend and a Red Stainless Tumbler for only $19.95
• December 5th:  Get a Red, Blue, or Gold acrylic tumbler for $5.95
• December 6th:  Buy a Merry Moments Cocoa Gift Set for $12.95
• December 7th:  Buy any 1lb or Christmas Blend coffee or K Cup 12 pk for $9.95 or buy a Starbucks VIA Christmas Blend 12 pack for $7.95 and buy one Christmas Verismo Pod Pack for $8.95
• December 8th:  Buy a 16 oz Cold Cup Filled with frapp inspired flavored chocolates for $10.95
• December 9th:   Buy a Starbucks 12 oz Red Cup Collection Mug for $3.95
• December 10th:   Save 30% on gift packs
• December 11th:   Save 40% off on Cold Cups and Cold Cup Straws
• December 12th:  Save 40% on a Cranberry Bliss Bar Tray

Also, they just announced a new promotion where you can buy 5 holiday drinks and then you’ll get one FREE!  Here’s how that works:

• At participating stores, pick up a holiday beverage tasting card from your barista at the register, while supplies last.

• Collect a sticker each time you purchase a holiday beverage from November 19 through January 2.

• Collect five stickers and get any Grande-sized handcrafted beverage of your choice, on us!

• You can redeem your completed tasting card through March 4.

Resharing since it's Casserole Season! Lockabee Broccoli Casserole

Lockabee Broccoli Casserole

This is from a family we personally know here in SC named Lockabee. The husband is well-known for his cooking and we were very lucky to get this recipe off his wife many years ago. We've enjoyed it ever since! :) ~Phyllis Sherer~

Lockabee Broccoli Casserole

1 head of broccoli, cooked 30 minutes and drained

1 can LeSueur very young small early Peas (or your fav brand)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)

1/2 onion, grated

2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup mayo, NOT Miracle Whip

2 eggs, beaten

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook & drain broc. Mix other items. In a casserole dish, layer 1/2 the broc., then 1/2 the mix. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until cheese is melted and casserole begins to brown. Let cool 10 minutes out of oven. Enjoy!

I've been very sick, so I was looking up soup recipes

Ran across this one and loved it :) I was told that dairy is bad for bronchial problems so I did not add sour cream or cheese on top as previously suggested on this recipe. I also added celery, not that I love it, but what is chicken soup without it? LOL Oh, also, no milk, I used low-sodium chicken broth.
Take lots of Vit C, at least 3-4 times a day, get plenty of non-caffeine liquids in you, take steam baths or showers and get plenty of rest!

If you were thinking that chicken soup as a cure or remedy for the common cold was merely a myth or perhaps only produces a psychological "nurturing" effect on the brain, think again. Chicken soup is a super medicinal crime fighter against some of the nastiest colds. Next time you or your loved ones are ill, try it. Here is my own chicken soup recipe. You can prepare it in a giant pot or a crock pot. I recommend using a crock pot because the added cooking time will only enhance the flavor of the soup, but either will work fine.

Miracle Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken

1 - 16 oz. bag of frozen peas and carrots

3 cups cooked rice

1 - 24 oz. can of Rotel tomatoes

1 cup of milk

Salt

Pepper

Basil flakes

Salt, pepper and sprinkle basil flakes on whole chicken. Place chicken in a pot of water and cook for one hour, flipping chicken after 30 minutes. Once cooked, remove chicken and cut into medium sized chunks. Save the chicken broth. Return the chicken to the broth. Turn the stove or crock pot onto low. Add two cups of water. Toss in peas and carrots, rice, rotel tomatoes and milk. Cook for thirty minutes on stove or four hours in crock pot. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW: She's Got Issues by Nicole Unice

She's Got Issues

by Nicole Unice

"Seriously good news for stressed-out, secretly scared control freaks like us"

This book & DVD set were given to me by Tyndale House Publishers for an honest review. My comments are my own.

"Standing on my porch with a dish towel on one shoulder and a burp cloth on the other, I knew in the deepest part of my soul that this could not be the 'life to the full' that Jesus promised".

Nicole Unice is a Christian counselor, ministry leader, and mom. She lets us know plenty about where she's been and how she came to bring this book to life. She helps us understand where she's coming from, which in turn lets you feel more comfortable when reading the book, almost like she right there talking with you one-on-one. 

She explains about who you are, a King or a Pawn; groups in which control, or lack of, places us. Surprisingly, I wasn't the one I thought I was! There are different, dare I say, fractures, layers, to what makes one a King or Pawn.

She helps us figure out why we are the way we are, what got us there, what happens while we are there, and how to deal with it. Not necessarily how to stop or 'fix' it, but how to control it to better suit our needs. And we have the access to the power of Jesus Christ to help us through it! 

This 14 chapter (great for study groups) book will walk you through a part of your life that you had no idea needed tweaking. 

ISBN 978-1-4143-6510-7

Christian Life/Women/Spiritual Growth

Includes Quizzes and other personal assessment tools

Copyright 2011, 2012

www.tyndale.com

www.nicoleunice.com

(addendum) Tonight's Slow Cooker Dinner 10/12/12 Sesame Ginger Chicken Orzo

I made a whoops in the recipe, sorry! Also added the after photo.



I worked a morning shift today and my son is gone all day and evening to school and his JROTC/Football/Homecoming game, so this worked out great for timing. 

Sesame Ginger Chicken Orzo

2 cups water (or chicken broth) (to rinse marinade bottle)
1 16 oz pkg Orzo (pasta)
1 bottle Lawry's Sesame Ginger Marinade sauce
1 large pkg rinsed chicken tenders
Veggies of your choice (I am leaving them out of this recipe tonite)

To your slow cooker, add one cup water before adding slow cooker liner (so your bag doesn't burn). Add rinsed tenders, marinade and rinse the bottle twice with water, pouring on top of chicken. Add veggies (like baby carrots onion chunks, etc). Set on LOW and cook 4 hours. Pour in the bag of Orzo (1/2 the bag if you want plenty of juice left-over or the whole bag if you want it thicker with pasta), stir to separate and soak orzo making sure it is all under water, recover, cook 30 minutes. 

(pre-cooked)

Cooked:

A couple of this week's Smoothies aka Juicing

^Breakfast/Brunch from the other day^

1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 red delicious apple, sliced, cored & seeded, 1 fit/lite mango yogurt, 1 cup (melaleuca brand) h20 splash tangerine/peach drink. YUM! Makes 1 very tall container, or two servings.

I drink smoothies similar to this several times a week.
(OOPS! Forgot to say that in another one just like the one above, I added a handful of rinsed kale & baby spinach, sorry!!)

My weekend ^Detox^ drink two days late ;) 

My son and I drank this tonight with supper. The green tops of the beets I'd bought were ugly and bruised so instead I used 3 kale leaves. I also added a cup of orange juice because of needing some Vit C this week.
Makes 2 servings.
(If you ever have smoothie left over or don't have time to drink it, it will save well for 24 hours in an air-tight glass container)