So So Salad

First things first, happy 3rd birthday to my baby girl, Iivana. I had intended to make her homemade treats, but I was lazy and bought her a bone instead. I did fill up her pool from last year for her to play today. However, she wasn't too interested in her pool.

I love this picture that I took of her last week. She was out of food, so I went to the commissary to buy her some dog food and they had 2 dollar off coupons. Then I noticed that it was only 11.99 for a huge bag. We normally pay close to forty dollars a bag for her Nutro Dog food! I bought all they had stocked because it was such an awesome deal.

For dinner tonight I made a watermelon and goat cheese salad. It had a citrus vinaigrette that you make from 3 tablespoons of EVOO, 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

I used mixed salad greens for the base. Although I wish I had chosen more of an arugula and spinach blend that had a little more flavor than romaine. I topped the salad with watermelon chunks, red onion, and goat cheese. Then I poured some of the vinaigrette.

I had some left over steak that I cut up and topped the salad off with. Overall the salad was okay; I think I had built it up more in my head. I think I would do with out the lettuce and try a different dressing next time. It wasn't horrible, but not something I will probably make again the same way. I'd be happy just eating watermelon and goat cheese. Maybe some basil and a balsamic vinaigrette would be better. But this was an easy and filling summer salad to make.

Colorful Pup

Remember when I went to Painting with a Twist? I had a blast there and definitely want to go again, but I can see how it can get a little pricey to go often. After my first experience at PWAT, I felt more confident in my painting abilities. They walk you through the painting process, so anyone can paint! 

While looking at the calendar for future classes, I came across this neat dog painting. I thought the color scheme would go perfect in my kitchen with these food pictures and colored mats. But I wanted my painting to be of my sweetheart, Iivana. So I decided to take on the task at home!

I already had some blank canvases at home from my melting art project when we bought a value pack. However, I did have to invest in some brushes and acrylic paint. I bought 3 brushes from Michael's that were on sale for 3 dollars each. I bought a small, medium, and a larger sized one. I also bought this starter pack of paint for 9.99, which I used a 40% coupon on so it was even less. Since I'm a teacher, I also got 15% for an educator discount. So I maybe spent 15 bucks on this project. I will eventually buy more colors and alternate brush sizes, but I wanted to make sure that I could paint at home first.

I used my computer as a guide and pulled up the PWAT picture and a picture of Iivana that I took during a personal photo shoot of my doggie. I sketched an outline of her. This was probably the most difficult part, because it was the structure of the painting. 

It's light but you can see my sketch.

Then I painted solid color bases.

I guess I got carried away and didn't take pictures of my other in between steps. I mixed colors, painted layers, let them dry, then added more color. The good thing is that if you mess up, you can let it dry and paint over it. I worked on it for a couple hours one day. I left it like this and then finished it up the next day.

My finished product! What do you think? Does it look like Iivana? The eyes were really difficult for me to mimic. I also think the face on this painting is a little longer than hers, but I like it!

This is the picture I used to draw her from.

Painting with a Twist

Since I am in my final semester for my master's degree, I have to pass comprehensive exams. I received the questions on Friday and have three weeks to answer them. I spent most of my weekend writing and researching, but I did find some opportunities to have some fun.

On Friday I went to Painting with a Twist with a friend from class.

We enjoyed some wine while we painted.

Our masterpiece was a Starry Night in San Antonio.

The class was fantastic and they walk you through how to do everything. I definitely want to do it again. There are some in Michigan, so if anyone wants to go with me when I'm home.

Justin already committed to going sometime with me down here and I have to go with Genevieve again, because it will be my turn to bring the wine. So there will be more art work classes in my future.

My posts lately haven't been too much about eating gluten free. So I thought I would throw this gem in this post. I used up a Groupon to the Little Aussie Bakery this weekend that was about to expire. I bought some cranberry bread that I haven't tried before.

I don't think I've eaten this much bread in a long time! I devoured half the loaf and really didn't want to admit it. At least I have been working out routinely.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I like to try different products, despite having my favorites. For pancakes, some of my top picks are Bisquick and Pamela's pancake mix. I know there is always room to add GF products to my go-to list and Allie's Awesome Buckwheat Pancake mix was an item I purchased with my Living Social deal. I recently noticed it sold at Whole Foods too.

For some reason, even though it is April I instantly craved pumpkin pancakes when I saw this recipe on the back of the box. I had can of pumpkin in my pantry that I had purchased in fall when I was going pumpkin crazy. When I made pumpkin waffles before all I did was add pumpkin. There's something about this recipe that seemed to produce magic in my mouth. It must have been the hint of sugar to sweeten them 'cakes.

Since it is just me, I halved the recipe.

At first the batter was pretty thick, so I gradually added some milk to thin the batter until it was a consistency that I was happy with.

It made 6 thick, fluffy pancakes.

There was so much flavor in the pancakes that I only needed a hint of maple syrup. I would definitely recommend this recipe and mix. But I'll have to try to make regular pancakes with Allie's mix too.

You've Got Mail!

Whenever I buy a Groupon or a Living Social deal I try to use it soon after I buy it, otherwise it lingers until close to the expiration date. I bought this one a few weeks ago and used it quickly after.

Here's a glimpse into my box...

I ordered two bags of Schar Cheese Bites! My sister, Kristen, bought some of these when I was in Michigan and I loved them. I haven't seen them too many places around here, so I figured I'd buy some with my deal. They make a great snack!

The bad part is there are only 4 servings in the bag, which means the bag goes like that! Justin and I both agreed that they taste like those little cheese Ritz cracker sandwiches, even if they don't have a cheesy center. They're not as cheesy or hard as Cheez-Its, and Goldfish are puffier and more hallow.

They also come in a variety of shapes!

Living Social Deal

My sister, Jill, sent me an email yesterday about a Living Social deal for glutenfreely.com. You will get $50 to spend on food, when you buy the deal for $25. For some reason, I had a ten dollar credit; so I decided to buy the deal for only 15 bucks.

I was a little hesitant to purchase the deal, because my other sister, Kristen, made a valid point: most of the prices are comparable if not less expensive at Whole Foods (and she lives in Chicago where things cost more!) Plus, on the website you have to pay for shipping. (However, if you spend $75 shipping is free.)

Eventually I decided to buy it because I thought it would give me an opportunity to try some new products. I figure I can think of things as being half off. When I buy stuff, I'll let you know what I think of the prices I paid and about the products.

Check it out here: only 1 day left! Hurry!!

Ninja Blender

About a month ago, while we were flipping channels we came across an infomerical for the Ninja Kitchen System 1100. At first, I thought it was the infomerical for the $500 blender, the Vitamix which I've seen demonstrations before at Costco. But Justin noticed it was a different because the price was way cheaper! While this is not the infomerical we saw, here is a short clip about the Ninja.

We do have a working blender, but it's not the best nor top of the line. But I still couldn't justify spending money on a new one. I was sold when I saw the food processor attachment, because we had been just talking about investing in a food processor to help reduce chopping time. I didn't instantly jump on the phone and order one though. We debated for a few days, and I was determined to find a promo code to get a discount. After several tries I finally found a coupon code good for almost $24 dollars off. So I bought ours for $135 instead of the $159 price!

Shortly after I placed the order, I received a confirmation email. I didn't even realize the company that makes the Ninja Kitchen System. It is made by Euro-Pro. Not ringing a bell? They make Shark products! Remember my love for my Shark mop? (found here)

Today I organized our tiny pantry shelves to make room for our Ninja Kitchen System.

So far we've tried a few things in the blender. We've made a smoothie, some salad dressing and fruit salad. Unfortunately we haven't tried the food processor attachment yet, but when we do I'll definitely let y'all know how it works. I bet it will make the guacamole process a breeze! There is also an attachment to make dough. This part may require some extra work to find a good GF recipe for bread.

The system even came with a cookbook. The first recipe we tried was the apple, cranberry, and gorgonzola salad. Of course I couldn't throw a whole apple into the blender, so I had to cut  up the apple and cucumber a little first.

It finely chopped/minced the apple and cucumber.

Then I added some dried fruit mix of cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and prunes. It also calls for walnuts, but we decided not to use any.

I rinsed the blender and made the dressing mix. It was composed of 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cream cheese,  2 tablespoons of milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

The apple mixture gets served in a cucumber thinly sliced the long way. A dollop of the gorgonzola dressing tops it off! Doesn't my presentation look superb? It only took me the whole cucumber to cut two good slices for our meal. We served this as a side with some tilapia. 

The recipe says it serves four but it seemed like it made way more than that! We ate up the left overs, but just served them in a bowl. 

I Love Groupon!

With our anniversary approaching this week, Justin and I spent the weekend celebrating with some help from Groupon! We stayed in San Antonio but became tourists in our own city. Justin and I decided to stay downtown on the Riverwalk, partake in tourist-like fun, and try exceptional restaurants with GF options.

The first stop took place on Friday afternoon at the Little Aussie Bakery. Of course we had a Groupon to use for $25!

We broke the rules and ate dessert first, while our lunch was being prepared! The cakes are truly my favorite thing at the Little Aussie Bakery. 

I devoured a strawberry sponge cake slice. Their cakes are so moist and the frosting pairs perfectly. The frosting isn't too sweet either.

Justin knew first thing while looking into the case that he wanted the tiramisu. He also sipped on hot coffee that matched the cake exquisitely. 

I ordered a personal pizza with chicken, bell peppers, and mushrooms. I've had the pizza here before, the crust is crispy, yet fluffy. It's good, but I honestly wouldn't call it the best crust (Guido's in Okemos was better.) None the less, when you want a pizza, it will fix your craving.

Justin ordered the Big Bloke Sandwich, which is basically roast beef and cheese on a GF bun. He enjoyed the sandwich, and said the bun was good.

The Savings

• Spent $10 on the Groupon originally
• The Groupon was worth $25
• Bill total: $28
• 28 - 25 = $3 paid at register
• Original 10 + 3 paid = Total lunch cost $13 
• (of course plus a generous tip!)

The next Groupon savings was for our first night hotel stay at El Tropicano. It was featured as a Groupon Getaway! They only had a room available Friday night, so we had to make other arrangements Saturday night.

The hotel had a toucan, some sort iguana, and a turtle!

The hotel Groupon also included parking and breakfast for two on Saturday morning. The breakfast was a buffet, which consisted mostly of toast, pancakes, breakfast tacos, cereal, muffins, and oatmeal. My options were limited, but it was included in the price! I stocked up on fresh fruit and coffee. 

The Savings

• Spent $73 on El Tropicano Groupon
• Valued at $146
• 146 - 73 = 73 dollars in savings
• Free breakfast for two - $25 value
• Free parking - $18 value
• We had to pay taxes, which were $8
• 73 + 8 = Total stay was $81

I have sooo much more to write about. Not only do I have more Groupons to write about, but some of the most delicious meals we've ever eaten! Stay tuned this week to read more about our weekend away (well sort of away!)

To wrap things up, let's see how much we saved through Groupon so far...

Little Aussie Bakery: Saved $15

El Tropicano:        +  Saved $73

Total Savings:   $ 88

It started with a coupon

I'm a crazy coupon lady, with an organizer and all. With my shampoo and conditioner running low, I noticed a coupon for Aveeno in the recent circular.

When at the commissary I noticed something on the front of the bottle, wheat protein. "Hmm," I said to Justin disappointed, "I guess I can't get this stuff." Then I began to question if any of my products at home contained gluten. I had read about it, but honestly for some reason didn't think anything of it since I don't ingest it.

Later that night I began to investigate. I checked out my beloved Aveda Hang Straight (which actually is not made anymore). My bottle is near empty, but I wondered about my favorite straightening product.

Right there: plain easy to read, "wheat" is printed two times.

Then the wheels began to turn and I started to make a connection to events that were happening in January. All through January I would wake up with swollen fingers. I researched it online, of course diagnosing myself, that it was connected to gluten. I began to question everything I was eating. I had extensive conversations with Kristen, having her check my peanut butter and other various products in this book she has. I still couldn't make any good reasonable connections.

So I blamed my favorite tea.

Around the same time my fingers began swelling each morning, Justin and I had started a routine of drinking a cup of tea before bed. I would enjoy this liquorice peppermint tea that I had bought a case of online. My sister Jill introduced it to me pre-celiac diagnosis, because it reminded us of the stuff they serve at Aveda salons. Organic tea was my culprit?

I stopped drinking the tea, but the swelling continued. It was so annoying, because I couldn't fit my wedding ring on in the morning. I had to wait until right before I left and would squeeze it on my finger. I even emailed the company and received a prompt response.

Dear Karen,

Thank you for contacting us.

All of our teas are gluten-free. We have the information on some of our literature, but I know we’re also working to get it up on our website and other material.  The tea is not closed with any glue and our facility only processes tea, so no gluten is present.  We appreciate your patience, and in the meantime, you can rest assured that all of our teas are free of gluten.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Kind regards,

-- 

Katie Bouchard
Customer Service
(206) 525-0051 ext 10 | choice@granum-inc.com

Eek! Tea was not causing my sausage fingers. It was not until this week that I finally discovered the cause. I haven't straightened my hair in a couple months because I badly need a hair cut. My ends are split, but don't look that nasty when I wear my hair curly. My curly products are safe, so I haven't experienced the finger bloating lately. During the January time period I was straightening my hair a lot. I had started taking showers before bed and would load up my hair with Hang Straight.

Everything is so clear. Now I need to find a new GF straightening product. I also need a haircut, but love my Aveda Salon. I'm sure this will make me put it off even longer...because it means reading all the labels before I get shampooed and cut!

But this discovery all started because of a coupon.

After School Snack

After the kiddos are gone and I'm preparing for the next day, I like to grab a Lara bar while I work.  I feel like I'm writing a cheesy slogan but they are natural.  There are only a few ingredients in each bar.  For example, my favorite which is the apple pie has dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon.  Each bar has about 200 calories and about 10 grams of fat but they really keep me satisfied.

These are some of the flavors we bought to try.

We bought these three in a pack at Sam's Club.

I had a coupon to use at the commissary. Betty Crocker bought Larabar and these are all the flavors they make.