$25.00 Restaurant.com gift certificates only $1.00 today!



This is really cool! My hubby and i love to go out to dinner so this was a real score for us! Go to www.restaurant.com  click on the $25.00 gift card you want to get to your favorite restaurant. (It will say that it cost around $10.00-sometimes higher depending on the restaurant.)  Proceed to check out and enter the promo code "wow" (all lowercase) It will then lower the cost of the gift certificate to $1.00! How is awesome is that?! So for $1.00 you get $25.00 worth of food at your favorite restaurant!
Some restrictions apply: Most have a minimum purchase of $35.00 and are dine in only. (Varies from different restaurants though)
They also say only one certificate may be redeemed per party, per month, per restaurant, even if the party is seated at separate tables and/or receives more than one check.
You can buy more than one certificate for the promotion price! Don't forget the promotion price is only good today so hurry! :)
p.s. I don't know if it was just my computer but there site is really slow! But be patient! Its worth it!

Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast

Yesterday I had some of my girlfriends over for breakfast and made Baked Blueberry Pecan French Toast from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Holy Moly Cow! It was the best (and i mean THE BEST-you are talking to a big time food snob here) French Toast i have ever eaten!

                                      

 Mel couldn't have described it any better: The pecans are toasted and tossed with a smidgen of butter – giving them a delicious, buttery flavor. The french baguette slices soak in an egg/milk/brown sugar mixture overnight and it all bakes to glorious perfection with fresh, tart blueberries and a brown sugar caramel drizzled atop.

It was absolutely amazing and makes a perfect morning breakfast! (Or midnight snack)

You can find the recipe here:

 http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/07/baked-blueberry-pecan-french-toast.html

It was a splurge breakfast but well worth all the yummy calories. It is very rich, i could only eat one piece. I sprinkled it with some maple syrup. Fresh whipped cream would make it even more fabulous. It pairs up well with scrambled eggs and fresh coffee. The best part is, its super easy to make and not at all time consuming! Its also very elegant and definitely company worthy. My guests loved it!

Tuesday Blog Hop!!!!

How I love blog hop days!  It is such a fun way to happen upon a blog that you may just fall in love with!

Welcome new followers and thanks for checking out my blog!

Friday Linkups! Come meet me!

1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?

Definitely an Irish accent!

2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, deck)

Nope! I need to be in my comfy cozy bed.

3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?

Only if they are clean and not smell horrific. I never ever sit on the toilet seat! Gross!

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?

Cameran Diaz. She's so funny and i know would make me laugh! Laughing is the cure to all dull moments.

5. Where did you and your significant other go on your 1st date?

We went to Starbucks with my twin sister.

Its finally Fall and i couldn't be more happy!

I LOVE FALL. Its my most favorite season ever! Most of all it gives me the excuse to bake yummy goodies, sip warm chai on the cold mornings and not feel guilty, jump on crunchy leaves, go shopping for some cute boots, and decorate! I love decorating my home with fall stuff. My mom used to do it every year.
I know, I'm very behind. I should have been more prepared and have all my decorations and flour containers full, but I'm not and I'm also broke so dollar store here i come!

I have found some awesome ideas from decorating to baking goods to things that just remind me of this beautiful season!  So here are just a few of my favs:

 

 

Why does fall make me think of these adorable puppies?

Lovvvveeee this outfit!

 

Gorgeous centerpiece!

Mmmmm....(licking the computer screen)

Love how this mantel is decorated

Little hiking trip my hubby and i went on.

This colorful season always helps me to reflect on myself and pick some new goals. Its very inspiring. With all the colorful leaves, calm cool breeze's, the sweet smell of cinnamon in my kitchen, family get-togethers, how could it not? So what does Fall inspire you to do?



Weight Watchers?

Today I'm thinking about trying Weight Watchers. Anybody have any success with it? I'm tired of going to the gym and eating healthy with no results! I really want something that works. Any suggestions, tips or experiences are more than welcomed!

I have decided too that I'm going to try and eat extra healthy during the week. But i love to bake yummy goodies.

So i did some research. I came upon this blog called Dessert for Two http://www.dessertfortwo.com/

This brilliant woman came up with many dessert recipes that serve only two people. And the desserts are fantastic! Like she mentioned in her blog, when you cook for two and trying to lose weight, you cant really afford having a batch of 36 cookies starting at you while you eat your healthy lil yogurt, or a pie sitting in your fridge just begging you to eat it. So her recipes serve dessert for only two people and are moderately sized, not to mention very tasty!

 Also i came upon this scrumptious Cinnamon Roll recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I plan on making these baked cinnamon icy cakes this weekend. But only making half a batch. I will let you know how they turned out!

You can find the recipe here:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/09/buttermilk-cinnamon-rolls-with-cream-cheese-glaze.html

She and Pioneer Women (http://thepioneerwoman.com/) Have some fantastic recipes!

 So does my plan make sense? Do you think it is realistic?  Tell me if it sounds crazy or you think it is not strict enough! I know dieting has a lot to do with portion control, exercising and sugar intake. I'm pretty good at sticking to diets and things when i put my mind to it. I'm all about finding ways to make meals lower in calorie but still taste yummy. If you have any ideas please send them my way!

And Were Back!

My hubby and i went out of town Thursday morning for my brother Adam's (he is blood related) wedding  in San Clemente. My lil beautiful beach hometown. I miss it dearly, but couldn't stand to move back there because the LA traffic is awful! Any hew, The wedding was on Friday evening and it turned out gorgeous! The weather was perfect and everything went how it was planned. The ceremony was definitely an emotional one though. Not having my other brother Jason there was really difficult. He passed away four years ago. But despite the tears it was a very joyous occasion and i couldn't have been more proud of Adam for finally forever committing to the girl of his dreams. Adam comes off with the tough guy demeanor but really he has a heart of gold and is one of the sweetest most caring people i know. I couldn't have asked for a better brother.
Scooter (that's her nickname btw) his wife, is a strong, sweet, funny determined person. She battled cancer a few years ago but beat it and is doing just fine. Gotta love her. She is absolutely perfect for my brother. I'm so happy they found each other.
Right now the newlyweds are vacationing for a week at an awesome resort in Cancun Mexico. SO JEALOUS! As soon as they get back they want to try and start a family. Adam is 32 and his wife Scooter (that's her nickname) is 30. Both of them cant wait to have kids, which i think is great since they are both getting a lil older. I on the other hand will not be popping those suckers out for about 5-6 years.
Any hew, here are a few pics of the wedding ceremony and my husband Kevin and I at the wedding:
                                     

Bride and Groom saying vows

The Kiss!

The bride and bridal party

The guys!

The wedding cake my mom made

(She is a professional cake decorator)

My husband Kevin and I

(not the greatest pic but it was the only one where i don't look like a cow!)

A Spray Tan

Yup! Yesterday i got my first spay tan! I was really really nervous about it! But it turned out quite well! My brother is getting married this weekend and i wanted to have a nice golden glow in the pictures.
My childhood nickname derives from the orange Umppa Lumpas in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My nickname (i will not disclose it due to it being highly embarrassing) has nothing to do with their outrageous orange color but i really did not want to look like one after i came out of that tanning booth yesterday. Luckily i didn't! I was about as pale as Antarctica before i got the tan. I always wear sunscreen and keep in the shade most the time. I still go outside and get some Vitamin D, i just don't torch myself. (I have accidentally in the past and holy molly cow sunburns hurt!) I walked out of the booth looking like i just spent the week in Hawaii. A nice golden color, not the least bit orange, abnormally brown or streaky.
After the session was done (which took about 1 minute) i did have some lil freckle looking spots on my arms and legs but the spots have washed off after my shower this morning. It is recommended to wait about 6-8 to shower after a spray tan. My tan is very even and natural looking. 
I like spay tans because they are UV free and you cannot get skin cancer from them. Skin cancer runs in my family, so I'm always extra careful.
Any ways, i say go and give it a shot at your local tanning place! I went to California Sun Center and the prices were not that bad and the extra services they give you, like two towels to wipe down after, a mint and a thank you card really gave the experience a nice touch. 
I will post some wedding pics to show off my tan this weekend! 
P.s. This is by no means an advertisement for California Sun Centers. I just like the tan i got there and wanted to tell others about it.

A delicious recipe (Philly Cheesesteak Calzones) and a food snob

I have to admit that I'm kind of a food snob. I like to cook only "good food". Meaning no artificially processed stuff, or pre-made items. I like to use the freshest veggies and best cuts of meat i can afford. But i also have a strict weekly grocery budget that i stick too. At about $60-65 bucks a week i make all meals for my husband and I. All Breakfast's, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts and weekend party food.
That budget also includes getting my cleaning supplies, bathroom stuff, dog food ect. It takes some strict and a little time consuming planning but it has definitely been worth it. We have learned to eat better and save a ton of money in the process. (p.s. Coupons are your best friend!)


Awesome blogs like:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ 
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
http://prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/ All help me make it possible.


So for last night's for dinner i made these delicious Philly Cheesesteak Calzones! Thanks to Mel at melskitchencafe.com I LOVE every single one of her recipes! I was stuck in a rut of what to make and these were quick and easy! It was Sunday night and by then my fridge is pretty much empty. (If you stuck your head in my fridge and said something you could probably hear an echo.)  


You can find the recipe here: 
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/philly-cheesesteak-calzone.html
Now who can say no to that? I love bread, i love carbs, and i love cheese. (unfortunately my thighs show it) And stuffed bread with cheese and tender meat? Oh yes! I had to make it!


Making the dough is not as difficult as you think it would be. Well not as difficult as I thought it would be. Being a pretty novice baker, i was a little intimated. But i was extremely surprised at the results! I though it would take me hours to make but really it only took a matter of minutes! I made the dough a few hours a head of time and stored it in the fridge tightly covered in plastic wrap till i was ready to use it. In the end when i took these scrumptious smelling beauties out of the oven i was so happy i chose to make them! The bread part of the calzones were very soft and moist. The meat was fantastic too! Super tender and full of flavor!


Next time i will post a pic of the ending result. Mel has some fabulous pictures and a step by step guide to making the calzones. Mine didnt turn out as pretty as hers but they tasted great! Thanks Mel!!!! :)

Hello!

 Hello! I'm Jena! I don't really know where to start first so here is a brief sneak peek about my life and what this blog is all about!

I'm a happy, Bible reading, "blond" (i have just learned to embrace it! lol) housewife to an amazing sweet husband and mother to our "child" (the dog) Benji. We try to keep life as simple as possible and really i would have it no other way.
Cooking and baking are one of my greatest passions. It is definitely a trial and error process, but i have mastered the art of piling on the spices to burnt chicken and still make it edible and kinda tasty!
 I love to write poetry and listen to Country music. (Little by little i have been converting my husband to it!)  I love the ocean, traveling, high heel shoes, the I Love Lucy Show, scrap booking, and of course making yummy food for the ones i love.
 I have a knack for finding little treasures at thrift stores. And oh how i love thrift stores! You can seriously find some great stuff!
I have awesome twin sister who i love to death and who has made me stronger in so many ways. I have a huge, loud family and I'm the youngest out of 5 kids. (Plus 4 of my hubby's friends that i have adopted as my brothers too) So that's a grand total of 9 brothers and sisters...wait i cant forget my friends Ash, Feesh and Miss so actually its a total of 12 brothers and sisters! (6 brothers and 6 sisters but only 4 are really blood related lol) 
ANY HEW, that's my life in a nut shell.

So about this blog.....i decided to write this blog to tell the adventures that life puts before me, the road blocks to get around, my greatest accomplishments plus disasters that occur in my little kitchen, and my random blond thoughts and moments of the day.
I hope you all enjoy and thanks for checking out my blog!