Pad Thai
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is one of those dishes that draws people into experiencing Thai cooking. It’s a tasty beginner’s dish and it’s made with ingredients that are easily available and allows for mild, medium or spicy palates. Pad Thai can be served with Chicken, Shrimp, Tofu or Vegetarian Style.
6 Garlic Cloves (peeled and pressed)
1/4 C Fish Sauce
1/4 C Raw Sugar plus one tsp
1/4 C Vinegar
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1/3 C Chopped Peanuts
Fresh Bean Sprouts
3 Green Onions chopped
Cilantro (washed and chopped) 1 handful
2 Eggs (scrambled)
Lime Juice (to taste) One or more tsps
Chilli Pepper flakes 1/3 tsp (to taste according to your desire for mild, medium or spicy.)
Rice Noodles, pre-soaked and ready to use. (this takes up to 30 min so check the instructions on the rice noodle package.)
Step 1 Dice your green onion and cilantro and set it aside
Step 2 Chop your peanuts and set aside
Step 3 Wash your bean sprouts and set aside
Step 4 Peel and press your garlic cloves and place them in a skillet.
Step 5 Add your fish sauce, sugar, vinegar and peanut butter to the skillet, cook these ingredient on low to medium heat, stirring and watching them. Add in your chilli flakes according to taste.
Step 6 Add your rice noodles to the sauce and allow it to simmer and heat for two to three minutes, add your two eggs and make a well in the middle of the noodles to scramble them. As they cook mix them into the noodles and sauce. (Be careful not to overcook the mixture as the noodles can get mushy. )
Plate the noodle dish and add bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, cilantro and green onions. Squeeze lime juice over the top and serve.
Note* You can add chicken or shrimp to the initial phase of the sauce if you’d like meat.
Deals, Coupons and Saving Money!
Saving Money
Researching TrueCouponing has made me realize just what an amazing team of women are running this website. The originator of True Couponing is Kati, a mother of four who home-schools her children. She has a BS degree in Accounting and previously managed a multi million dollar payroll and fixed assets program for Baxter International Health care. Two additional women have joined her in this endeavor, Kelly and Susanna. They are all three making this website and the accompanying seminars their ministry.
One of the great things they teach you on the website is how to combine BOGO (Buy One Get One) offers with manufacturer’s coupons to bring home items for nearly nothing. They recommend purchasing multiple copies of the Sunday paper for the coupon inserts. They suggest one paper per family member. In fact if you want save even more money the TrueCouponing website offers a link to purchase the Tampa Tribune at a discounted rate, providing you are purchasing multiple copies. The purpose of having multiple papers/coupon inserts is to take advantage of the store sale cycle. They say that stores offer the best deal on products two weeks after the manufacturers coupons come out in the paper. It will be at that time that you will see the BOGO offers and you can use two manufacturers coupons to purchase these items because you are buying two items. So not only are you getting one free, but you are getting even more savings with the coupon! They also say that you should leave the coupon flyer intact and only cut out the coupon on the week you are ready to use it. They detail exactly which coupons to use at each store on their website. They list sales and deals at Albertsons, Publix, Winn Dixie, Whole Foods, Walmart, Walgreen’s, CVS, K Mart as well as coupon deals and baby sales. They also give you opportunities to save even more by letting you know when the newspaper has a save $5.00 on Forty dollars at any grocery store. This week their site listed a coupon for Sweet Bay.
These women are amazing and they are doing this generously and for free. Their website True Couponing is an excellent resource for saving money and offers each of us an opportunity to learn and put our knowledge to work saving money.
Museum Day 2010
Smithsonian Media is sharing it’s sixth annual Museum Day on September 25th, 2010. On this day participating museums around the country will offer free admission with a museum day ticket. The ”Museum Day Ticket ” will allow two guests per family free admission to one museum from the participating list of museums. If more than two people wish to visit the museum on this day, then additional guests will have to purchase individual admission.
Iolani Palace
When you visit the Smithsonian Magazine site and click on the Museum Day link you can type in your state or city to find local participating museums to choose from for Museum Day 2010. Museum Day Tickets are available for download starting July 1, 2010.
A few examples of participating museums follow:
Hawaii Iolani Palace, Queen Emma Summer Palace.
Florida G WIZ The Science Museum, Harry S Truman Little White House SHS.
Wyoming National Museum of Wildlife Art, Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
New York Children’s Museum of the Arts, Frederic Remington Art Museum.
Indiana Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Howard Steamboat Museum Mansion.
Maine Maine Maritime Museum, Portland Museum of Art,
Washington Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum.
Money Saving Tips For Shoppers
$aving Money
With prices climbing and unemployment still high, saving money is a priority for most people. One excellent way to save money is with TrueCouponing.com, a website run by three women who started with the premise of saving their families money. They’ve dedicated themselves to sharing their knowledge and money saving expertise with others as their spiritual calling. They run the TrueCouponing website as well as offering free couponing seminars in the Tampa Bay area.
To start with they say you should never pay full price for items such as paper towels, bathroom tissue or toothpaste as these are items that manufacturers always offer discounts on. They say that anyone can use these strategies with as little as thirty minutes a week and the weekly coupon fliers. Their website is a wealth of information and will get even the novice shopper excited and motivated to learn more about their money-saving tips and shopping strategies.
Their website, TrueCouponing breaks down deals store by store and teaches visitors how to shop strategically using grocery store sale cycles in conjunction with the weekly coupon circulars and BOGO deals. They offer free Couponing Seminars throughout the Tampa Bay area, you can sign up on their website.
Product Review: Nippon Kodo Incense
Nippon Kodo is a company run with environmental awareness, from reducing CO2 emissions, to planting trees, reducing packaging and using more organic and natural ingredients. The corporation takes pride in “reducing the environmental burden caused by material procurement.” In addition the company participates in cultural activities around the globe to share Japan’s fragrance culture and history.
Nappon Kodo Incense
These are a few of Nappon Kodo’s incense lines. I’ve quoted Nappon Kodo on each. You can find others on their website.
Traditional Incense
Ka-fuh “leads you to imagine sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves of a cool forest after a rain shower, as the mild scent of blossoms wafts softly in the air. [ka-fuh] is made from selected natural organic ingredients”
Eiju ”Contemplate the distant eternal flow of the times, and pray for consolation and comfort. The name “Eiju” was chosen with these thoughts in mind.”
Modern Incense
Herb and Earth ”The Herb & Earth collection is a less smoke bamboo incense. Enjoy all twelve scents from refreshing herbs to scented woods and spices.”
Florense ”Florence, a fragrance alive with gentle sunlight and smiling faces.”
Natural Incense
NK Pure ”Now, more than ever, we are using selected plant-based fragrances to make our incense more naturally appealing.”
Saving Money On Fresh Basil/ Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Panini
A Ting With a Sting
I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a new rum drink on the island of St. Kitts. While staying at the St. Kitt’s Marriott Resort I learned about a drink called “A Ting With a Sting.”I tasted this island rum drink and I have to say I’m a fan. But I’m even a bigger fan of “A Ting With a Sting and a Twist. Which I created by accident on my last day on St. Kitts. Read more
Downsizing Clutter Sanely
This is part two in series on downsizing clutter.
I admit the process of downsizing and removing clutter can be daunting. Yes, let’s be honest. Your clutter didn’t accumulate overnight and it’s not going to depart your house in one night either. It’s a step by step process. How can you sanely downsize clutter and those excess belongings without losing your mind or being bogged down in, ” Where do I start?” Read more
Weekend Party Tips
Baseball Memories
With summer upon us and most of us working right up to the weekend we’re looking for simple, easy, affordable party ideas that make our party stylish and relaxed.
Start With a Theme You Love
Some of my favorites…
The Beach
This is offers endless opportunities and most of us can work from items we already have around the house while adding a few glam pieces for extra punch. Make a table arrangement using a round glass bowl and fill it with sand, shells and a gorgeous candle. Embellish around the exterior of the bowl with a few tropical flower blooms, spread a few additional shells around the table and presto you have a beautiful table with a Beach theme! To add pizzazz to the patio add a few tiki torches, a string or two of white lights and if you have a pool float a few candles on small boogie boards for added mood.
All American
This one is near and dear to my heart. I love Baseball and what’s more American than Baseball and Apple Pie?! If you love baseball as I do you’re guaranteed to have a few baseball mementos around the house that can easily be adapted to table decor or a center piece for the day. Think caps, balls, autographed photos, banners and baseball tickets. For each place setting you could color xerox an old baseball ticket and write the guest’s name on the top. You can also make a nice center piece with a wooden tray and a few special baseball mementos that you treasure. If possible you can purchase napkins with your team logo. For dessert serve the all American Apple Pie. To hit a home run and welcome your guests right, display your team banner on the front door or fly your team’s baseball flag.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
This one comes immediately to mind because Memorial Day is about remembering so if you have a loved on in the service or you’ve had a loved one retire from the service add a few little photos around and some American flags, along with a few special photos of family and friends who will be attending the BBQ. It’s always fun to walk down memory lane and remember that special moment with family and friends on your last vacation or special celebration. In fact you can use the photo/frame as a place card, for seating. To keep the theme going, use red white and blue candles and napkins to decorate the table and add small American flags to the center piece.
Editor’s Note: These party tips are suitable not just for Memorial Day, but for Fourth of July, Labor Day and other holidays as well.
Downsizing Your Clutter
This is part one of a two part series on downsizing clutter with a purpose. Read more
