Fascinate Test from Sally Hogshead

Like to take tests? Not many people do. Here's one from Sally Hogshead that let's you know what your fascination strengths are, rather what makes people listen to you. A very interesting premise. The test indicates your primary, secondary and dormant triggers. Try it!

Salmon Casserole Courtesy of Kiwi Magazine

This recipe is courtesy of the February/March 2010 issue of Kiwi Magazine, a publication dedicated to raising healthy children. As always, I modified the ingredients to what I had on hand and reduced the levels of sodium. And it's still a very tasty dish!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook 8-10 ounces of whole wheat rotini noodles with 1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh broccoli. Once cooked, drain the pasta and veggies and stir in 12 ounces of canned pink salmon. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Whisk in 1/4 cup whole wheat flour to the olive oil. Add 2 cups of skim milk to the rue along with a tablespoon of dried dill (the official herb of 2010), a finely sliced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and a tablespoon of hot sauce. Once the rue starts to thicken, remove the mixture from the heat and add 1/2 cup onion dip (sour cream combined with onion). Blend the creamy ingredients into the pasta, salmon and broccoli. Place mixture into an 8 x 8 inch glass pan and top with 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until topping begins to turn golden.

Coconut Coffee

Coffee has never held any real appeal for me - unless it's filled with sugar and cream. Then it's dessert. And I love dessert.

Lately I've been experimenting with adding different flavors to coffee to make it more interesting. My new favorite is coconut. Add between a quarter to a half teaspoon of coconut extract to coffee. Mix in sugar and skim milk and you have a wonderful cold weather sensation that smells like the tropics with a promise of warmer days to come.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pitas

These pita breads look delicious - and they are. If you have read my posts, you know that I love to bake. When I found a recipe for pitas I had to try to make them. While the end result is wonderful, the process is more costly than going to a local bakery outlet and purchasing eight whole wheat pitas for 59 cents.

The recipe I used asked for 3 cups of whole wheat flour, oil, salt, a large, plastic resealable bag (ziploc, hefty or glad), a baking stone and water. The bread had to rest in the refrigerator overnight. Pitas were then baked in a 500 degree oven.

I love the fact that I know everything that goes into my baking projects, but when you do the cost comparison, the bakery outlet version wins hands down.

Five Dollar Coupon for Talbots

Try on a pair of pants at Talbots and get a $5 coupon. Love their accessories like necklaces and purses. And every little bit of a discount helps these days.

Dannon Lawsuit Settlement Form

Did you know Dannon settled a lawsuit regarding DanActive and Activia? The yogurt company is providing up to $15 restitution for purchases without a receipt. Anything over $15 requires proof of purchase. Here's the link to the on-line claim form.

Apparently, the lawsuit centered around false advertising claims. It doesn't pay to lie.

Crocheted Animals - Crochetdermy

Shauna Richardson has taken crocheting to a whole new level. She creates masterpieces in wool using one type of stitch in varying wools. Each piece takes about a month to complete. It's a cross between taxidermy and the needle arts.

Fern Artwork

I have been busy volunteering lately. Seemed there was no time for home projects, except for this one. I had two white picture frames with artwork I didn't care for. I flipped the art to the back of the frame and glued two fern fronds onto the matte board, replaced the glass and voila'. I transformed the picture frames into artwork I loved.

Norma Kamali at Walmart

Imagine a designer look at deep discount prices. That's Norma Kamali's clothing line for women at Walmart. I don't go out of my way to shop at Walmart which is why I was pleasantly surprised to see Kamali's fashion at this big box store. The top shown here is organic cotton for just $10.00! And I found beautiful dresses for $24.00 and under.

WARNING! - Don't Heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I love cooking with extra virgin olive oil. Laddle a tablespoon or two into a hot pan on the stove before adding fresh veggies and garlic. How yummy does that sound?!

After watching the Steven and Chris show, I got the shock of my life. Extra virgin olive oil turns into a trans-fat when heated and worse, it can become a carcinogen after cooking with it! This does not apply to regular olive oil. (I included the overview of the program on the link, but it does not mention this tidbit - you have to watch the video of the show to hear the statement.)

Like many of you, I have heated EVOO. Well, no more. It's regular olive oil from now on and just drizzling cooked foods with cold, extra virgin olive oil.