Everything takes time.
Just ask WebMD, who created these “5 Tips for Better Work-Life Balance.” Figuring out what really matters and prioritizing is a big deal.
Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but as a blogger – and a blog reader! – the one thing I am most careful with is my time.
Some common – and honest - questions I tend to ask myself:
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How long will it take me to write this post?
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What takes priority, blogging or sleep? (Sleep usually wins!)
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Will people be upset if I just can’t find time to blog today?
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Will people be mad if I don’t comment or have time to read today?
Most of the time, I step back and assess the situation from a rational standpoint. For starters, the world does NOT revolve around me or my posts – that would be scary – and no one is going to be upset with me if I don’t post…other than me. There are SO many important news stories, events and happenings going on in the world every day.
That said, I truly enjoy blogging as often as possible and hope that you, my readers, get something out of it and visit my site for a reason. So although it may sound trivial to spend time dwelling on whether or not I should choose an extra 30 minutes or 1 hour of sleep over blogging one night, if blogging is important to me — which it is — these questions are necessary.
The point of this little speech is to introduce our next fabulous Guest Bender. When Quinn offered to do a post on time management, I jumped at the chance to see what she came up with.
I hope you enjoy what she has to say as much as I did! It’s certainly going to help me plan — and maybe, just maybe, I’ll no longer have to choose between sleep and blogging anymore. Maybe, just maybe, I can have the best of both 
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Fitting It All In
Hi Jenn’s readers! I’m Quinn of My Mantra: Everything in Moderation. I blog about how I abide by the philosophy of doing everything in moderation; in turn, I like to think I lead a more balanced life.
Jenn is also a VERY busy girl, so I think this post is extremely fitting. I am often asked how I fit it all in. Between family, work, blog, friends, a new house, dog, fitness, self, etc. there is a lot to do! Some gets put on the backburner, but for the most part, I run around like a crazy woman doing it all!
Let me tell you, it is NOT easy. One of my biggest strengths, however, is multitasking. From my days as a waitress, I was able to print a check, greet a table, bring guests their appetizers and more. I’ve taken those skills and implemented them into all facets of my life. From work to cooking to utilizing my time whilst commuting to shopping – there are always moments to multitask and get ahead.
But how can you do it? It’s easier than you think. Let’s say you have three things that have to be done. Assess the situation. Triage what’s most important and start knocking it out in order of importance. Once that’s done, move on to the next task. There is nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a list. Before you know it, you’ll be done with everything and feel so accomplished!
I am constantly making use of my time. While I’m on the phone I clean up the house; while the dog is at the groomer, I’m at the gym catching up on magazines; I drop off my dry cleaning while en route to the grocery so it’s not two separate trips, etc., etc. Same goes for cooking. While your main dish is cooking, prepare the salad and set the table. Use your time wisely, and it will in turn make you the most effective person you can be!
***
Thanks, Quinn! In addition to her amazing advice, I wanted to list out three time management tools that I find particularly useful:
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Google Calendar: The easiest and most colorful way I know to keep appointments, events and key dates logged all in one place. You can have reminders sent your email so that you don’t miss a beat.
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Day Runner: Even though most of my life is now digital, I still love having a physical day planner when I’m on the go. Plus, there’s something about writing things down with colorful pens, highlighters, etc. that gets me motivated. Yea, don’t laugh – you know you secretly agree!
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Mini Notebook: In addition to the day planner, I like to carry around a mini spiral notebook to add thoughts, to-dos and notes to throughout the day. I can transfer these to my calendar or save them for later use easily this way. Currently, I am obsessed with everything from Jacqueline Savage McFee. Check her out!
In the end, what works for one person may or may not work for you. But I hope that this provides some guidance to anyone chasing after the impossible: finding a way to fit 36 hours into a 24 hour day 
Abrazos!
Good evening!
Some of you are probably living it up at a party right now. Perhaps you’re hosting one yourself or responsible for providing an appetizer at a friend’s house.
Others are just enjoying their Sunday, football-free
Whatever you’re up to on February 7, 2010, I hope you’re having fun!
I started out my day with a #SuperBowl (for all of you on Twitter) of oatmeal:
Twas a glorious bowl of banana, flax, almond milk, cinnamon and almond butter
It left me a happy camper…and an empty bowl
I took care of some blog details and caught up on emails this morning, but this afternoon was all things football. I didn’t have a team in the big game, but at the risk of alienating some readers, I will say that I decided to cheer for the underdog. It was great to see the Saints win their first-ever Super Bowl!
Last night, Bobby and I got caught up on Lost – which now has me more lost than I’ve ever been…what is going on?! – and enjoyed a very nice dinner: Baked Crusted Tilapia with Steamed Veggies.
This meal was phenomenal – and so easy! We started out with melted Smart Balance and whole wheat bread crumbs. Preheat the oven to 375* while prepping.
Next, dip the tilapia in the Smart Balance and cover completely with the bread crumbs. Add to a greased baking dish and top with sliced tomatoes to roast in the oven along with the fish.
Bake at 375* for roughly 30 minutes, making sure to check on the fish occasionally. The tilapia is fully cooked when it turns completely white and flaky.
Combined with the roasted tomatoes, this tilapia was fabulous. It flaked so easily off the fork, which is always a sign that you cooked it just long enough. We served the fish with a side of steamed veggies that included water chestnuts, broccoli and carrots.
Our Super Bowl eats were equally amazing. It all started with the pre-game show, which included a serving of sweet + Russet potato fries.
These were – again – very easy to make. Simply chop the two potatoes into thin, fry-like strips. Coat with 1 tbsp. olive oil and plenty of seasonings – including garlic salt and pepper – and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375* for 30 minutes – flipping once after the first 15 minutes are over. When they are crispy, place onto a plate for serving. I used a Valentine’s Day plate courtesy of Mama Bender!
Gotta love Target’s seasonal and holiday dishware
These fries went perfectly with the pre-game festivities!
Along with the fries, we also enjoyed some homemade beer!!
We received this sample a couple of months ago from Bobby’s friends, who have recently started to create their own beer with a home brewing kit. They call themselves the Blue Lady Brewery. This was what they call their “Northern Wheat” and it was ridiculously good. Puts other beers to shame – and that’s saying something because I like a lot of different beers!
Now if only they could market this professionally 
For dinner, Bobby and I once again went to work in the kitchen. On tonight’s menu: Whole Wheat Shell Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom in Red Sauce.
Another super easy recipe – all you need is a stove!
We cooked up the chicken in one pan and added the spinach at the very end. The other pan featured the red sauce, which cooked together with the chopped white mushrooms. The last pot was for the boiling whole wheat shell pasta. Everything together took roughly 10-15 minutes before it was ready!
We served the pasta with a glass of Mirassou Merlot. Another wine we definitely recommend – it was very fruity and smooth. It complemented our pasta perfectly, but would also be great on its own.
All in all, I’d say this was a pretty successful weekend when it comes to homemade meals!
The only downside is that Bobby is currently feeling a bit under the weather. Fingers crossed that I don’t catch the bug – I’ve got a big week ahead and want to be as healthy as possible for it! If you could send some healthy vibes Bobby’s way, we’d both be much obliged
Crate & Barrel’s Ultimate Wedding!
Getting tired of hearing about this yet? I really appreciate all of you who continually show your support for this “campaign” I’ve added the picture below to our sidebar along with the link to our site. Any and all votes, shout outs and link love is SO appreciated. Thank you for following us on this journey!
We’ve got another exciting round of Guest Bender posts ahead this week! Can’t wait!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday – and have a great start to the work week!
Abrazos,
**Daily reminder: Please vote for Bobby and me in the Crate & Barrel Ultimate Wedding**
You can read more about why we would love to win the contest in this post. Thank you!
***
Happy weekend, everyone!
I was super excited to sleep in this morning. For whatever reason, I have been particularly tired this week and the extra ZzZzZs were much needed! Now it’s time to get productive
Before I get to today’s fabulous Guest Bender, I wanted to share the dinner that Bobby and I enjoyed last night. Mainly because it ties in perfectly to what Caroline is going to tell you about later on in this post – this meal was cheap – and also because I have to thank Bobby for making it as I came home a bit late. It was ready and waiting to be enjoyed when I got home. Let’s call it…Stir-Friday!!
What’s in the background, you may be asking? It’s actually a sample I received as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program called Kikkoman Ponzu Lime. We poured some on both the chicken and the veggies as they were cooking. I would compare the taste to soy sauce with a zip of citrus flavor mixed in – kind of like a garnish on top of a drink. We both liked it!
Here’s the description from the company website:
“Kikkoman Lime Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Dressing adds a kick of lime juice to the umami mouthfeel of soy sauce. Use Kikkoman Lime Ponzu to marinate or finish fajitas or fish tacos, as the finishing touch to guacamole, in an Asian or Latin salad dressing, or mix with mayo and spices to create a delicious, creamy lime dipping sauce for fried foods.”
The veggies we used were from a frozen bag – you’ll see more about the benefits of using frozen veggies as a cheap and easy cooking tool in Caroline’s post – and included carrots, edamame, water chestnuts, and broccoli. Combined with the chicken, it made for a perfectly delectable and oh-so-easy dinner.
And, of course, there was also a bit of wine thrown into the mix.
This one was a Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot. It had a really nice aroma and balance of fruits and spices, as well as a very smooth finish and after taste. Bobby and I both enjoyed this one.
Now, I’ll stop yammering and get to our Guest Bender I just couldn’t help but share since it complements what she will be talking about so perfectly!
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Before we start, here’s Caroline’s disclaimer:
Now before I tell you my story let me just point out that I am by no means a nutritionist and though I am working towards becoming one, I haven’t made it past my core classes. The information that I base my healthy diet on is simply from articles that I read online, books I find at the library, and from other blogs I read. This is simply what is working for me and it might not work for everyone else.
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Eating Healthy on a Budget
My name is Caroline and I write the blog See Cat Run. I’m 24 years old working my first post-college job at a major university in Georgia. I’m training for my first half marathon and taking classes part time in order to become a registered dietitian. I pretty much make the minimum possible wage at this University and have quickly learned to eat on a budget, which is what I’m here to talk about!
My shift from unhealthy foods has taken awhile. First I made a conscious effort to drink more water. Then I tried to stop eating the cheapo frozen dinners. I switched to whole bags of Bird’s Eye Steamfresh frozen veggies with Mrs. Dash (to continue my quest to cut down on sodium) but they haven’t been on as good of a sale for at least six months so I’ve found other alternatives. I also tried to stop eating as many frozen pizzas with my husband on nights he was home, which means we’re now rather sick of spaghetti.
I’ve never felt comfortable cooking meat on my own and have never really liked it enough to miss it (though I do crave hamburgers from time to time). So I obviously don’t have to deal with that expense. I would make myself burritos for dinner with black beans and whole wheat wraps, but that got boring.
I’ve actually become a little obsessed with Michael Pollan. I read The Botany of Desire a few months ago which inspired me to start splurging on organic spinach since I was eating it twice a day and the book had me wanting to avoid inorganic potatoes! (That’s right, potatoes! Just imagine what could be in foods grown above ground.)
Now I’m reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which has inspired me to try to eat foods with as short an ingredient list as possible (which means little to no fast food). If I buy myself meat (and as already discussed that’s a huge if) it’s going to be organic (Publix has good prices on organic ground turkey, actually). I also try to buy as locally as possible. There’s a weekly farmer’s market in town that recently ended for the season, but we’ll buy in season produce there for a lot cheaper than the super market, and its all sustainably grown. If we had farm stands I’d buy from them too.
I am lactose intolerant so I don’t eat much dairy, even yogurt makes my tummy rumbly!
Otherwise I eat a lot of oatmeal, simple salads, rice and beans or tofu. I’ll make stir-frys a lot with whole grain rice and frozen veggies. I seriously rely on frozen veggies (cheap and frozen while in season) and if at all possible choose whole grains over refined.
Eating this way is sometimes made tough because my Husband is allergic to beans and tofu (so I can’t always include him in my dinner) and also through living with our roommates because they don’t care how they eat. Like when we were all making pizzas the other night, the boys went to the store and bought the cheapest white pizza crust they could find.
When we do have pizza or pasta, I’m trying to start eating a small salad before them so that I fill up faster and have more leftovers.
To be brief, my methods are basically:
- cut out unhealthy frozen meals
- use seasonings (Mrs. Dash) on things like vegetables instead of salt
- use frozen vegetables
- use whole grains for pasta, rice, bread, etc
- use cheap sources of protein like beans, lentils, peas
- buy local and in season if possible and
- (something I’m still working on) experimenting with different spices, seasonings, and sauces because they can completely transform a meal that is kept on heavy rotation
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Thanks for sharing your perspective with us, Caroline! This makes for a great question that I would really like to ask all of you: how do you eat on a budget?
I’m really making an effort to be more conscious of my budget this year. I would love to hear your ideas for how that can apply in the sense of food. Let me know what you think
Time to get going on the weekend! That means doing some blog reading, of course…my favorite!
Abrazos!
Glad you all enjoyed Katy’s post on social media. I don’t go into much detail about this on the blog, but a lot of what I do for my job on a daily basis involves social media and working on social platforms for clients. I know some people are skeptical so let me just offer up a suggested read, if you’ll let me Anyone interested in learning more about all things social should check out Mashable on a daily basis. The content is always fresh and will give you a straight from the horse’s mouth perspective.
If you stop by Mashable, check back and leave a comment letting me know what you think!
***
Today’s post comes from a lady who could quite honestly be my wedding soul sister. Funny thing is, we’ve only just “met!” When Cassie emailed me to sign up for a guest post, she listed out a bunch of ideas. But what really got my attention was her introduction:
“I feel like we are so similar – both planning a purple (!) wedding to boys named Robert… and trying to live a healthy life with our Roberts while balancing work and family, etc.”
Immediately, I knew what I wanted Cassie to write about
So without further ado, here is her take on wedding planning! I absolutely LOVE her ideas and some of them mirror my own — purple shoes, for starters!**
**And if I may just remind you to vote on a certain Ultimate Wedding Contest from Crate & Barrel, I would be very grateful. For some reason, C&B has adjusted some of the contestants voting numbers and we are back in the race at #15! Your vote could make a huge difference!
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Purple Wedding Bells
Hello Bender Bloggies!
My name is Cassie, and I write a blog named Red Pencils and Running Shoes. I’ve been a longtime fan of Jenn’s blog, and I swear we live parallel lives! In addition to navigating this post-college life as healthily as possible, we are also both planning purple weddings to boys named Robert, and I wanted to share some of my planning with you all!
As with many other girls, I’ve been thinking about my wedding since I was approximately 7 years old. I loved looking at pictures of my mom’s wedding, and when I got engaged, my mom offered me her wedding gown. Currently it is a mess of lace and long sleeves – typical of 1982! I plan on tailoring the dress into a lacy v-neck, and dressing it up with my grandmother’s strand of pearls, and a vintage-looking pair of pearl earrings that Robert gave me last Christmas. (Oh and I HAD to include my engagement ring, because 2 months later, I still catch myself staring at it!) I’m especially excited, because I will be wearing my mom’s gown on the eve of my parent’s 30th wedding anniversary!
Of course I couldn’t let my wedding day pass without wearing a touch of my favorite color – purple! I LOVE these shoes from Nine West, and think they’ll really pop under my white dress!
My bridesmaids – my five best friends! – will be in this gorgeous frock by Jim Hjelm. I saw this and immediately fell in love with the ruffle neckline and the color. It is so fun and playful – and there are pockets! (Pockets are essential, don’t you agree?! ) **Jenn says: YES! My bridesmaids have pockets on their dresses, too!**
I’ll be sending out these beautiful invitations by Betsy White, but changing the ink color to match the purple theme. Hopefully everyone will be able to come and eat wedding cake with us too!
And finally, the flowers. As you can probably tell, I don’t shy away from colors, and I love the pop of pinks and yellows in these dahlias. I don’t need anything fancy or elaborate – just bold and fun, like Robert and me.
All together now:
- Dress and Flowers: Real wedding: Tanessa + Sheldon « 100 Layer Cake
- Bridesmaid Dress: Bridesmaids Dresses: Style jh5001 by Jim Hjelm Occasions
- Purple Shoes: Nine West Janika at Zappos.com
- Cake: Cake Walk Cary
- Invitation: Betsy White
- Pearl Necklace and Earrings: Personal Jewelry Collection
- Engagement Ring: Personal Jewelry Collection
Well friends, I hope you liked hearing about all the little wedding details! This is such a fun process, and I’m glad I get to share it with all of you. I hope you all stop by my blog and say hello sometime! There’s lots more wedding where this came from
Oh – and speaking of weddings, make sure you get out there and vote for Jenn to have her ULTIMATE wedding! Fingers crossed!
***
Thanks, Cassie! It felt very surreal reading this post because I could have written it myself. It’s so much fun to see someone planning a wedding with so many similarities because it makes my own come even more alive I’m giddy right now, if you can’t tell.
It’s almost the weekend! What’s on everyone’s agenda? Or even better question…
WHO ARE YOU CHEERING FOR ON SUNDAY?!
Abrazos,
You continue to amaze! As I write this post, we are up to 243 votes. There is some steep competition but honestly, I am perfectly content just reading your sweet comments, tweets and link loves on my behalf. Although it would be great to win — I’ll never give up hope! — having these messages in my inbox is enough to make any girl feel pretty damn lucky
Note: You’re only able to vote once per email address (unfortunately not once per day). It’s too bad, really, but if you do have more than one email address and are willing to put the extra one in…thanks!
Vote here! Thanks for the Ultimate Wedding opportunity, Crate & Barrel!
C&B, if you’re reading, I’ve been a fan for quite some time. You had me at condiment spoon.
***
I’ll be popping back in for an all-Bender post tomorrow or Friday, but for now I’m loving handing over the reins to all of these fabulous guests. Everyone has a unique background and story to share.
Today’s Guest Bender comes to us from Katy at Silly Tater Tot. She’s a fabulous blogger and knows a lot about social media, which I heart. She decided to share some great insight with us!
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Let’s Get Social
Hi Bender fans! Brief introduction: my name is Katy — I blog about fitness, food, furballs and family at SillyTaterTot.com. I’m married (to a beer blogger who puts up with my crazy experiments), love competing in triathlons, recently completed two half marathons and I’m a Weight Watchers lifetime member. I’m an Executive Producer for a media production company by day, and a 24-7 social media nut. I’m also on Twitter, so follow me there!
I’ve been reading Jenn’s blog since the beginning, and am thrilled at the chance to borrow it for a while. For my money, when it comes to weight loss and healthy living — the Internet can be as powerful a tool as a scale, Vita-Mix and library of cookbooks combined!
Social Networks: You know the ol’ devil-and-angel-on-your-shoulder cliché? Social networks are like packs of angels, all waiting to deploy when you need them. At a restaurant and panicked about what to order? Looking to meet people in your city that share your healthy living goals? Maybe you are bored with your routine and need some workout recommendations.
Facebook:
- Fan Pages: almost every business has a Facebook fan page, and with just one click, you can become a fan and get daily updates, advice, coupons and more. The well-done pages are also interactive, which means that if you leave a comment or question, you’ll get a response.
- Doing it Right: Fitness Magazine, Active.com, Oh Nuts!, Nasoya, Whole Foods.
- Friend Lists: These let you organize your Facebook friends, and decide who sees your updates, photos, links and more. That way, you can feel better about posting personal information, which is key when you’re trying to make connections and don’t want your boss or your grandmother to know that you’re depressed over a weigh-in!
- I group my friends into categories like Bloggers, Colleagues, College Friends, etc.
Twitter:
This may be one of the newer networks, but it’s my favorite, especially when it comes to healthy living.
- Twitter Search: type in a keyword, a hashtag (those funny phrases that include a #), a name or more, and see what happens. I love playing with this, especially when I’m looking for inspiration in my triathlon training. You’ll find people from all over the world, and once you find someone that interests you, you can follow them to see what else they talk about!
- Listorious: wish you could go to a yellow pages of Twitter, grouped by category, to see tweets about one topic? It’s your lucky day. Listorious is a directory of Twitter lists created by other people. Search by keyword or tag (for example: Triathlon, Bloggers, Food) and then you can follow the complete list.
- Tweetdeck: I can’t live — or work — with out this. It’s a tool that lets you manage multiple Twitter accounts, save searches, group the people you follow and more. It’s a download, but once it’s up and running, you can leave it in the background so you don’t miss a thing. I also love it because you can integrate Facebook (profiles and fan pages), LinkedIn and more, so you can manage ALL your accounts in one place.
Smartphones:
I’m a former Blackberry user, and when I had my Curve, I told everyone that would listen that it was the best piece of technology ever invented. Then, I met my new love — the iPhone. Now, I know that there are people who think it’s too expensive, or too much, and that’s fine. But if you like applications and easy-to-use software, here are my picks.
- Lose It!
- This free app lets you keep a diary of what you eat, activities and more. If you count calories, or just like to see a breakdown of what you eat and when, there are graphs, alerts (when you get close to your daily goal) and more.
- Urbanspoon, Yelp!
- This has saved me so many times when I’m traveling or in a part of town that I’m unfamiliar with. These applications let you search for restaurants based on your location, and you can filter it by price, type (I like finding vegetarian options!) and more.
- Yoga Lite
- This is a free version of an application that you can also buy. You can get “flash cards” of yoga poses, which is great if you have 10 or 15 minutes to kill, and want to do a little stretching or a light workout. I’ve been known to use this on my lunch break at work!
- Dirty Produce
- This is AWESOME for helping you decide what to buy at the grocery store. It’s a list of foods that are best bought as organic (rather than conventional) and can be a lifesaver when you’re overwhelmed and on a budget.
- Food Scanner
- This is a paid app, but I love it. It uses your iPhone camera to scan a product’s UPC bar code (or you can type in the name manually) and if you eat it, you can automatically add it to a food diary. It also gives you nutritional stats and more.
- Teavana
- A fun app that includes a tea timer, so you never under- or over-steep your tea! You can also virtually blend your tea, then bring the blend to the store to have it mixed for real.
- Starbucks
- This is great for coffee addicts who are overwhelmed by the fancy names. Use the guide to pick and choose what you want (soy milk, sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup, extra hot, etc.) and it will actually give you the markings that the barista needs for the cup!
- Map My Run
- Before I had my Garmin 305, this was AWESOME for recording the distance that I was running or cycling. It uses GPS, and you can upload the stats to your Map My Run account if you’d like!
- Epicurious
- Another grocery store must-have. This lets you search the Epicurious database for recipe ideas, cocktails, etc. — you can even build your shopping list with the app, and use that when you get to the store!
Tip: You can find these apps and more on your iPhone’s “applications” button, or through iTunes. You can also sort by free vs. paid AND, my personal favorite, use the Genius option to have your phone recommend new apps for you, based on what you already have.
Other:
- Blogs: You probably have your favorites already (you are using a feed reader to help organize your blog subscriptions, right?) but if you are looking for more inspiration, especially on a specific topic (gluten free cooking, diabetes, running nutrition, etc), these can be great resources.
- Google Alerts: Set these up when you want to be emailed or alerted to specific keywords. I have a “triathlon” alert set up so I can see what people are talking about in my favorite sport!
- SparkPeople.com, Livestrong.com, Recipezaar.com
- All three of these sites are great resources for recipe ideas, reviews and more — and since they all encourage community and conversation, they let you reach REAL people and get more out of your time!
***
Does this girl know her shtuff or what?! Thanks for sharing, Katy!
What do you think of social platforms? Embrace ‘em? Fight ‘em? Tell us more!
Abrazos!
First of all…
THANK YOU!
For all of you who commented, tweeted and voted on our behalf in the Ultimate Wedding contest — a big, sincere thank you. I could not ask for a more amazing group of people in my life The competition is steep, but so far it looks like Bobby and I are still in the top 25. There can be 50 finalists in all…so if we continue to spread the word, we could at least make it to the next round!
To clear up a couple of questions that you had on my last post:
- You can vote just by entering in an email address on the site. I know some of you are skeptical about providing that information and I totally get that!
- It appears that you can vote once per email account. If you happen to have more than one email account and are willing to vote on all of them…YAY!
The contest runs through March 31. I’m planning on tweeting @TheEllenShow, @Oprah and @Insertcelebrityhere just for kicks Why not?!
Do you have any other ideas of ways to get the word out? I’m trying to fight the fine line of being self-promoting vs. too pushy, so all thoughts are appreciated!
In closing…VOTE HERE!! Thanks in advance!
***
Another very exciting guest post today! This one comes from the lovely Monica of Run, Eat, Repeat. We’ve got a full line up of guests for the next few weeks and I will be popping in and out with some posts of my own, too! It will be great to keep the content up to date. Enjoy!
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Bean There, Done That
Hello this is Monica from Run, Eat, Repeat. I’m here to share my love of beans with Eating Bender ‘s readers. About me: I am a runner, eater, writer and blogger with an imperfect, but fun approach to health.
I recently transitioned back to a vegetarian lifestyle (after being veg*n on and off for six years). And despite my love for tofu, my current protein of choice is BEANS!
Beans are a very easy substitute for chicken or beef in so many recipes and this legume offers protein and tons of fiber. Hey, they’re not called the musical fruit for nothing
I don’t discriminate when it comes to beans and enjoy all kinds. The great thing is this food comes ready to eat in a can or you can boil them up yourself. Either way it’s super cheap. A can or bag of beans both come in under $2.00.
I am always coming up with new ways to eat beans, too. My most recent recipes include Easy Black Bean Soup and a new take on a classic – Chickpea Casserole. Here I subbed chickpeas for a chicken and threw all this into a casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers and cheese and bake.
This dish is packed with good stuff and is delicious. My meat-eating husband even loved it (but did request more cheese on his side).
If you’re not willing to completely bean-ify a recipe then I suggest making it half and half. Use half the amount of chicken or beef and add in beans. It doesn’t work with everything, but I’ve never been disappointed.
If you have any questions or want to share your bean love please feel free to email me: runeatrepeat@gmail.com.
Thanks for having me, Jenn!
***
Abrazos!
Hello peaches!
I swear I must have food on the brain 24/7/365. As I was making dinner tonight, I decided it might be fun to address all of you by food nicknames for a while. We’ll see how long this lasts Do you like peaches? I feel as though I may alienate any male readers with this new endeavor…
So here’s the deal:
Bobby and I have entered Crate & Barrel’s Ultimate Wedding Contest!
It would mean so much to us if you would go and vote on our behalf. In fact, it would be a dream come true If you aren’t ready to click over just yet…here’s our official entry:
Becoming Mrs. Jenn Krenn
Our love story.
Who knew school uniforms could be romantic? Bobby and I met during our sophomore year high school English class: I was arguing FOR school uniforms while he was arguing AGAINST. Our bickering – and flirting – made us fast friends, but I was convinced that was as far as it would go. Seven years, four diplomas and one engagement ring later, I’m ready to walk down the aisle with the guy who has seen me at my best and my worst (which I argue is not often). Call me biased, but I think I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
Three important details about our Ultimate Wedding.
Our wedding is about the numbers: 1. My dad is the oldest of 10 kids with 20 cousins on his side alone. The Ultimate Korducki-Krenn Wedding would ensure that all of our loved ones are present. 2. Our special day will be in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona on 10.16.10, our 83-month anniversary (and one month before the ‘seven year itch’)! 3. Bobby proposed on the 1st hole of our favorite Chicago golf course three days before my 22nd birthday. The wedding reception will be held at the “19th hole” clubhouse of our favorite Scottsdale golf course.
Our everyday dream day.
Wake up at 9:00 a.m. on a sunny, warm Chicago day (you said it was a dream!) for an 18 hole round of golf – loser buys brunch. Eat a delicious meal – Bobby’s paying – of oven-baked omelettes and blueberry pancakes from Walker Bros. Original Pancake House. Meet up with friends and family at a Northwestern Wildcats football game (Go Cats!). Following victory, head to Benihana and enjoy chicken fried rice and raspberry sorbet. Come home, open a bottle of red wine and watch episodes of The Office, Lost and 24. Did I mention we love food?!
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I think that this is Crate & Barrel’s first major endeavor into the power of social media and word of mouth self-campaigning. So…here goes! I would be honored if this blogging community — all the friends I have made and all of my lovely readers — would vote at least once on my behalf. All you have to do is visit this link and add your email address: Becoming Mrs. Jenn Krenn.
If you’re on Twitter, it would be a HUGE help if you could RT the following:
RT @EatingBender Let’s call it #jennkrenn! Your vote for our dream wedding would mean SO much to us. Click here: http://bit.ly/cCAlD5!
Last but not least, I would be forever grateful to anyone who is willing to link to this blog post or directly to the contest link on their blog: http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/21473
I know I’m asking a lot, but if you have the time and are willing…THANK YOU!
I promise I won’t devote this long of a post to it again, but I will be including the link every now and then just in case We are absolutely giddy over the possibility of us being chosen for the finals!
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As if this post couldn’t get any more special to me, I would like to bring in a very special guest blogger this evening. He doesn’t have a blog (though maybe he should?): BABY BENDER!
This was completely unexpected. When it popped into my inbox last night, I could not stop laughing. Papa Bender may know how to cook, but the photo quality could use some work
Still, I just can’t see not posting it. So bear with the blurry and washed out images. I hope it brightens your day just as it did mine. Those of you who know a bit more about my brother will definitely see the humor in his language. He’s quite the comedian.
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Guest Bender: Baby Bender
Hello Bloggers. I am Eric, Jenn’s little brother. You can call me “Baby Bender.” My dad and I (“Papa Bender”) were bachelors this weekend and I am starting to learn to cook. Nothing fancy and my sister will cringe, but it’s a “guy food” weekend with Baby Bender in charge of the menu. We are having hot dogs on Saturday with ribs and chicken on Sunday. Let me share with you our weekend dinners.
Saturday night, I cooked some hot dogs. It is important to start with good meat, even if it’s hot dogs. You can see me here with some Chicago all beef hot dogs. These will be good.
Papa Bender likes to cook hot dogs and brats in a little beer (he is from Milwaukee) before putting them on the grill. The hot dogs will cook for 5 minutes in the beer/water mixture before I put them onto the grill. This gives you a moister hot dog and keeps it from getting burnt on the outside and uncooked on the inside when it is grilled. In case you are wondering, I did not drink any beer as all of it went into the cooking pot.
I have learned to like vegetables and tonight I am cooking some zucchini and onion with a little olive oil, sea salt and garlic. This is a good combination and my dad always wants us to eat our vegetables.
I had my hot dog with cheese (I have Cheesehead roots) and my dad had his with pickles. We both had a Caesar salad to go with dinner.
Finally for dessert, I had some ice cream. It’s probably not very healthy, but I like to take an extra scoop when my sister isn’t here.
On Sunday, we had some ribs and chicken. We rubbed some spices into the ribs and let them sit overnight in some BBQ sauce. I will slow cook them at 175 degrees for almost 3 hours before I put them onto the grill. Then they will fall off of the bone.
The chicken breasts are marinated in a touch of olive oil and some Italian spices and then added to a dish with spaghetti sauce, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. These will be baked at 350 degrees for one hour. There is a lot left over which is by design – so we can enjoy it during the week.
Add a baked potato and the broccoli that is always nearby in our house, and you have a very nice meal to start off the week. Just what a growing six footer needs!
All in all a fun guys weekend with good down home basic food a 16-year-old can love.
Baby Bender
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You officially know more about me and my family in one post than I ever thought would be possible. I hope I still have readers after this one Can I count on your vote?
More guest posts and fun to come this week!
Abrazos,
Happy February Eve! If you happen to know where January went, please send me an email.
I announced on Twitter this afternoon that baking banana bread is fast becoming a Sunday tradition. This statement is certainly not a complaint on my end. In fact, Nicole’s recipe has become such a mainstay around here that Bobby requests it every time he sees the slightest bruise on a banana
The more I follow this recipe exactly – today, for example, I added in the required 4 bananas instead of my usual 2 or 3 – the more delicious it gets. Four is definitely the magic number. This bread is so moist, so sweet, so temptingly mouthwatering that we just can’t get enough!
One of the best things about Bobby when it comes to food is that you can always tell when he thinks something tastes good. He will probably turn a shade redder and come after me for telling you this, but every time he tries something tasty, he lets out a huge “MmMmMmMmmm…” I don’t even think he realizes it until he sees me laughing at him.
I’m definitely more than OK with this fun fact. It’s easy to tell when he likes something and when he doesn’t. This in turn makes me a better cook – even if I’m sensitive during the times where he thinks something could taste better It’s a learning process and I’m glad to have a tester along for the ride.
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Another delicious part of my Sunday was when I tried Jer’s Handmade Chocolates.
I received this delicious box – along with several other small samples – to try and review from the lovely people at Jer’s as a “just in time for Valentine’s day” option to share with all of you.
When I opened the box, I loved the message inside:
I love it According to Jer’s, they are the “heavenly combination of all-natural gourmet chocolate and peanut butter, the only all-natural, high-end peanut butter chocolate brand on the market.”
Given such a confident statement, I wonder how these chocolates stood up to the taste test?
As you can see from the photo above, they certainly look scrumptious! I decided to try out the “Pretzo Change-O” for the blog. What can I say? I take one for the team This chocolate is described as “crunchy baked pretzel bits and pieces combined with our signature all-natural peanut butter center, then smothered in a selection of premium milk, dark or white chocolates.”
This chocolate was a little piece of bliss for a sweet + salty girl such as myself. It was perfectly smooth in the center with a bit of crunch on the outside. Like an upgraded Reese’s peanut butter cup.
The people over at Jer’s can definitely be my valentines. Sorry, Bobby! Other flavors include buttery toffee and caramel. Big thanks for the samples! You can order your own by clicking here.
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Another week and the start of a shiny, brand new month is upon us! I’d love to hear how 2010 is going for you so far. Let me know: how have your goals or resolutions been progressing?
Abrazos,
I’m so excited to launch the first-ever Guest Bender — a series of guest posts featured on Eating Bender that you will now be able to find linked here on the top of my blog. These posts will be spread out through the month of February — and beyond! — as a way to show off the talent and creativity of some fabulous foodie, health and lifestyle bloggers in our community.
Our first guest poster — and, actually, the blogger who sparked the idea! — is Angela from A Healthy Fit. Take it away, Angela! Let’s give her a warm welcome
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I’m so excited to be guest posting for Bender! I have never done a guest post before, so I hope you all enjoy. So who am I? Well… that’s a pretty big question that can get pretty philosophical, but short and simply put…I’m Angela, the gal behind A Healthy Fit. I am a newbie blogger that has become totally addicted to writing, reading, talking, and thinking about blogging. I enjoy eating healthy food, am learning a love for cooking, and am a certified exercise freak.
Enough about me, let’s get on to talking about some food! That’s why we’re all here right?? I wanted to share with you all one of my favorite recipes. Although, I don’t know if you can really call it a recipe. It’s more of a…lets chop everything up, throw it in a pan, and watch it do it’s thang.
This so-called recipe is from my good friend, Myles Davis. No, no, not Myles Davis the great musician. I don’t know him, although it would be pretty cool if I did. This is Myles Davis.
He is no jazz musician, but he does like to make jazz hands.
Years ago when I lived with Myles he introduced me to this gem of a dinner he liked to call “Veggie Parfait.” Veggie Parfait is 3-4 parts veggies, 1 part rice, and 0 parts parfait. Technically…there is a layering of colors and flavors? I don’t know. There is no real parfait action going on. We are just silly.
So I know your mouths are all watering by now and you are just begging me for what to do next. Alright. I’ll get on with it.
You can use any veggies that you like, but for this veggie parfait I used fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, portobello mushrooms, and broccoli. First, chop up the potatoes into ¼ inch slices and slice the baby carrots length wise.
You’ll want to get out your best frying pan and heat up 2 tbsp. of olive oil. I also add a large squirt of Bragg at this time. First add potatoes and let them cook for a while. I don’t have exact timing here, but usually I let them cook for about 7-10 minutes. Then throw in the carrots. Keep mixing everything around because it will stick. You can always add more Bragg if things start looking dry.
Since I am so fancy and sophisticated when it comes to cooking, I add a lid over the potatoes & carrots to steam them a bit and get them cooking faster. If you have a pan that has a lid that fits in, I recommend that instead of this…
Let the potatoes and carrots mingle together for a while. Like I said, a while is not a technical timing. I would say let this mingling occur for about 5-7 minutes. Next up add your portobello mushrooms and then put your lid back on.
Once the mushrooms look like they are getting tender, throw in your broccoli.
As I throw in my broccoli I like to sing a little tune. Now, this is not mandatory, but I think it makes the process a bit more fun. The song I like to sing to my broccoli is a little ditty from SNL by the fabulous Dana Carvey. Do you know it? Choppin’ broccoleeeeeeeee, I’m choppin’ broccolaaaayyyyyy.
Put your lid back on and wait until the broccoli turns bright green. Once it does…voila! You are done! Just heat up some brown rice and top with your veggies. Veggie Parfait! Myles actually used to add an egg or two to his mixture, which is excellent as well. It’s really all up to you! That’s the beauty of the veggie parfait.
I have recently been becoming more and more obsessed with hot sauce, so last night I had to add some. Mmm Mmm Good!
Well folks, that’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for reading and letting me invade Bender’s blog! I hope you enjoyed the experience. I know I did. Although, I can usually entertain myself for hours…usually by singing silly songs that no one wants to hear. But that’s another story, for another time.
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Thanks, Angela! If you’re interested in submitting a guest post or have a fabulous idea you’d like to share, please feel free to email me at eatingbender@gmail.com.
Abrazos!
…and I just can’t hide it!
I feel like The Pointer Sisters:
That video made my morning so much better.
But seriously, I can’t get over the positive response I’ve gotten in calling for guest bloggers. It’s something I should have done a long time ago! Every blogger who emailed me had such great ideas for posts. No more lonely blog around here! I’m excited to keep content fresh thanks to all of you.
I’ve been slowly but surely responding to emails and if you haven’t heard from me yet, please know that I will be sending out an email to everyone this weekend with more information. If you’re still interested and want to send me an email, feel free! It’s eatingbender@gmail.com. SO EXCITED!
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I’m also excited to share a quick recap of my girl’s weekend! Last Friday, one of my best friends — and maid of honor! — came into town to visit me and my other best friend from college. It was the first time we had all three been together since graduation. We had a great time!
On Friday night, we went to pick up my friend and had a low key night in. Saturday morning, we thought there would be nothing better than a trip to good ol’ Walker Bros. You may know that this is an absolute favorite breakfast place of mine. Everything on the menu is delicious and fresh.
I started off with a fresh cup of coffee.
For breakfast, I ordered the Greek baked omelette, which actually goes into the oven to create a puffy sensation of flavors that include spinach, tomato, kalamata olives and feta cheese.
It’s a generous serving size but surprisingly, I’m always able to eat the whole thing I also had some whole wheat toast, which comes with fresh jam and butter. I love jam!
We had a fabulous time. Here’s a photo of the three amigas:
I’m the one in the back still bundled up in a coat and scarf If you’ve ever met me in person during the winter, you will know that I do not take off my coat! Something about being all bundled up…
On Saturday night, my friend Sam and I came back to downtown Chicago and had a girl’s night that included organic wine from Whole Foods — Pacific Rim Riesling, which was on sale!
We enjoyed the wine while watching The Pregnancy Pact on Lifetime. Did anyone else see this movie? It was based roughly on a true story. Interesting stuff.
When the movie was finished, we popped in the complete opposite end of the movie spectrum: Sex & The City. [I just realized how vastly different these two are...wow.] Anyway, I had never seen it before and thought it was a good movie!
While we watched, we enjoyed small fruit tarts that we picked up from the Whole Foods bakery. The custard, pastry and fruit topping were SO good. I would love to try to recreate this one at home.
We chatted all night — not counting the part where Sam fell asleep during the second movie
On Sunday, our friend Lauren met up with us again to head into the heart of downtown and every shopper’s paradise: Michigan Avenue. We did a lot of window shopping and stopped by Ghirardelli to pick up some of their amazingly rich and decadent hot chocolate.
We couldn’t help ourselves…
Did I mention the hot chocolate was delicious?
For dinner, we stopped by The SoupBox, which I’ve visited before with Lo and Val!
This time around, I tried the Tomato Tortellini soup, a vegetarian option made with a tomato broth and filled with tortellini shells. It hit the spot on a cold day, especially when served with doughy whole wheat bread, which they make fresh every morning.
As you can tell, we had a busy weekend! It was so much fun to catch up with Sam and hang out with her and Lauren again. It made me miss the college days, but hopefully we can do it again soon!
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Can you believe Friday is here again? I feel that this week went by super fast!
Here’s the weekend agenda:
- Sleep
- Go to the dentist
- Sleep
- Catch up on emails and with friends on the phone (yay!)
- Sleep
- Catch up with bloggers and what’s new in their lives (double yay!)
- Sleep
- Figure out the guest posting schedule
- SLEEP!
Sounds like a plan to me! What are you up to this last weekend of January?
Abrazos,
