Saturday, July 9, 2011

Spotlight Saturday

It's Spotlight Saturday Hosted By



Between the Lines



Welcome to our fun blog hop with a twist!  Every week swing by to link up your blog and one you want to spotlight!  Did you find a new blog you liked this week?  Is there one you visit on a daily basis?  Well, simply link up your Spotlighted blog right under yours.  We will Spotlight our favorite blogs of the week in spots 4, 5, and 6.  

This week is I'm Spotlighting Cindi from Little Yayas!
How it Works

1) Link up your own blog.
2)Link up a blog you want to spotlight for the week.(ex. Spotlight: Roslyn's Closet)
3) Follow your three hosts.
4) Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or in a Spotlight Saturday Post.
5) Follow as many blogs from the list as you like and leave a comment so they know you stopped by.
6) Return the favor by following blogs that followed you.
(Be aware that URL's cannot be duplicated so please have a second spotlight choice in mind. If your blog's URL has already been spotlighted, just add one you'd like to spotlight. And don't forget to leave a comment with the blog you spotlighted so they can come and join the blog hopping fun! )



Friday, July 8, 2011

Don't Miss Spotlight Saturday

Between the Lines

Don't forget tomorrow is Spotlight Saturday!  Hope you all come back in the morning to join us, along with Survey Junkie, for our fun little Blog Hop with a twist!!!  Link up your own blog and another that you would love to share with the rest of us!  Linky opens at midnight!

Fabulous Food Friday with its own sweet.neebeep.com

Welcome to Fabulous Food Friday! While exploring the blogosphere, I realized that there were many great recipes to share. So every Friday this summer, I am going to  feature an awesome blogger with their great recipe! Today’s feature blogger is Lisa from its own neebeep.com.  Lisa is a home schooling mom of 5.  Her blog is full of beautiful photographs you definitely should check out. 

 

Marinated Chicken & Pickled Red Onions

 Sunday Dinner, May 22, 2011
with recipes....
Last night we have what we lovingly refer to as Disneyland Chicken.  It is almost exactly the same as a favorite recipe featured at a restaurant we visit, (okay, we actually have it delivered to the hotel room), every time we escape to The Magic Kingdom.  (Which, in the past year or so, has been often!)
So, here is our recipe for one of our favorite marinated & grilled chicken dinners, along with a great recipe for pickled red onions - crunchy, sweet and tart - you must make them to compliment the chicken!

El Pollo Marinade
(a found & tweaked recipe)
Yield:  6 servings (naturally we at least double it)
8 oz pineapple juice
3 Tb lime juice
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TB white vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1 t dried oregano
1 t chili powder
1 Tb veg oil
4 lb frying chicken, cut up
(We have also used chicken breasts, or leg/thighs.  A whole chicken works best, legs & thighs come in second!)
8 drops yellow food coloring  (optional, it does help give it "that look").
Combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl, reserving a 1/2 cup marinade for basting.
Marinate Chicken overnight, at at least several hours, turning at least once.
Grill chicken, basting with reserved marinade, till cooked through.
We, (as you can tell from below picture), like the outside of ours fairly "charred" - while the inside remains moist and juicy.

IMG_9820

Red Pickled Onions
They are the pink things above, between the lovely charred chicken and the re-fried beans.  My boys laughed at this picture - saying the onions resembled a pile of intestines or something from the Addams Family.
Well....they taste divine.  As I said,  crunchy, tart, & sweet.  And my boys all ate several servings (even the picky one).
So here is the recipe:  
(Makes about 5 cups, naturally we at least double it)
3 medium red onions, sliced thin
1/2 Cup lime juice
1 Cup orange juice
1 tsp sugar
1 Tb salt
1 jalapeno, halved, seeded, sliced thin
Combine lime juice, orange juice, sugar, & salt in a medium sized bowl (large enough to add and cover onions).
Being a pot of water to boil.
Add onions and blanch for about 30 seconds.
Drain onions well.  Add onions & jalapenos to juice mixture.  Stir & coat thoroughly.
Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Serve Chicken & Pickled Red Onions with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, warm corn tortillas, (or, better yet, warm homemade corn tortilla chips), fresh lime wedges,

 Limes

{My husband also swears by salted & roasted jalapenos.}
And a homemade salsa on the side makes it even better.
Let me know how you like it!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

ToiletTree Fogless Mirror Review and Giveaway

My husband is always trying to save time in the morning.  With his new ToiletTree Fogless Mirror, he can not only save time, but he can also achieve a smoother and closer shave.  He loves how the steam from the shower makes shaving less irritating for the skin.  And although he was skeptical that he would be able to see clearly through the steam, ToiletTree has actually produced a shower mirror that won't fog up.  And it is so easy to use and can mount firmly to almost every shower surface. 
 Their "patent-pending design is simple yet most effective. Fill the fogless shower mirror’s reservoir with hot water from your shower head and you’re done. It’s ideal for close shaves, cleansing and exfoliating, removing make-up, tweezing and more.  No chemicals or special coatings required. Our fogless shower mirror is designed to remain fogless and maintenance-free for a lifetime."  This mirror is not only great for the multi-tasker in us all, but it also saves us from cleaning out all the yucky little hairs that build up in the bathroom sink.  Check out the short YouTube video below to see just how easy the Fogless Mirror truly is.





Features include:

  • Shatter proof high quality acrylic fogless mirror
  • Adheres to virtually any wall surface with removable silicon adhesives
  • Easily adjustable bracket accommodates multiple users and angles
  • Built in shelf to store your razor, sponge or tweezers
  • Squeegee included to wipe away excess water drops
  • Designed not to rust, discolor or damage bathroom surfaces
  • Measures 6.5in x 8.5in x 1.5in and weighs only 1 pound
Buy It:  Buy your own Fogless Mirror for only $29.95

Win It: One lucky reader will win their own Fogless Mirror.   "Like" ToiletTree on Facebook to enter the giveaway.  Please remember to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

Extras: (Remember each entry must have a separate comment and an email address is needed to contact winner.)
~ Follow ToiletTree on Twitter (2)
~ Follow Between the Lines on Facebook (3)
~Follow Between the Lines (2)
~ Subscribe to my email (3)
~Add me to your Blogroll and leave a link (5)
~Follow me on Twitter (2)
~Tweet this giveaway leaving me your link. (3x a day not back to back) (1 entry each)
~Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link (10)

This giveaway will end on July 21st @10p.m Eastern
*This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only.  Winner will be chosen randomly. An email notification will be sent to the email address provided by the winner. The winner must respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will result in being disqualified and a new winner will be chosen.  
Disclaimer:  The opinions & thoughts expressed are my own. I received a mirror in exchange for my review, but was I under any obligation to give a positive review. Prizes are mailed out by the distributor and Between the Lines cannot be held accountable for prizes not sent.

    Wednesday, July 6, 2011

    Flip Flop Wines Review


    This weekend my family all got together for some Fun, Food, and Flip Flop Wine Tasting.  And in the spirit of this new brand from Underdog Merchants, we all wore our Flip Flops!  David Georges, the vintner of Flip Flop Wines, grew up in Southern California where the laid-back lifestyle included wearing flip flops most of the time.  He combined this laid-back style with his love for wines to create a "well-balanced wine that everyone can afford".

    My beautiful sis-in-law trying the Riesling
    Unlike many inexpensive wines, Flip Flop Wines are top-notch.  For only $7 a bottle, you definitely aren't expecting the high quality that Flip Flop Wines deliver.  We were fortunate enough to review the Riesling, the Pinot Noir, and the Pinot Grigio.  Among those at our 'exclusive' wine tasting, my parents were the resident experts.  They have traveled to numerous Vineyards and have tried a variety of different brands.  They were very happy with the quality Flip Flop Wines (my mom even bought another bottle).  My Dad's favorite was the Pinot Noir.   He said it went perfectly with the Italian Meal that we were eating that evening (and that he couldn't wait to pair it up with his Cadbury Chocolate).  He loved that it lacked the overbearing bitterness that some Red wines have.  He also loved the light sweetness is had to it and how smooth it went down.   My Mom's favorite was the Riesling.  Riesling has always been one of her favorite types of wine, but she said this was one of the best she had tried.  She loved the light peach aroma and sweet fruity taste.  She also commented on its smooth finish. 

    Now if it wasn't amazing enough that David Georges produced such a wonderful collection of wines at an affordable price, he has also teamed up with an amazing non-profit group, Soles4Souls.  Soles4Souls is a hard working organization that works on collecting used and new shoes for those in need.  "Shoes help prevent the spread of parasitic diseases that plague over 1.4 billion people worldwide, and they are basic human necessity".  For every bottle of wine purchased, Flip Flop Wines will donate one pair of shoes to someone in need.   Their goal is to donate 11 million shoes in 2011!   And you can help them out by trying out a bottle today!  Also feel free to join them on Facebook.   They are a friendly group and always have some great discussions going on.

    Disclosure:  I received 3 bottles of wine in exchange for my honest review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review.  All opinions are honest and my own.

    Tuesday, July 5, 2011

    We Have Winners!


    Congratulations to Mare/TommyGirl!  You are the lucky winner of the Sweet Valley Confidential giveaway!  You won with comment #11.  Mare/TommyGirl has 48 hours to claim her prize or another winner will be selected with Random.org.  Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Francine Pascal for hosting a great giveaway.


    Congratulations to Sassy!  You are the lucky winner of the Veggie Tales giveaway!  You won with comment #1.  I don't think that has ever happened before. :)  Sassy has 48 hours to claim her prize or another winner will be selected with Random.org.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thanks to Big Idea for hosting a great giveaway.

    Congratulations to Cheryl!  You are the lucky winner of the CoffeeCakes.com giveaway!  You won with comment #213.  Cheryl  has 48 hours to claim her prize or another winner will be selected with Random.org.  Thanks to everyone who entered and a HUGE thanks to CoffeeCakes.com for hosting another great giveaway.



    Summer Learning Series: Sidewalk Chalk

    Every child loves summer. Summer is a time for playing outside, swimming in the pool, and hanging out with your friends. Unfortunately, summer is also a time when kids lose a lot of what they learned during the previous year of school. As an elementary school teacher, it was frustrating to watch my students struggle at the beginning of each year with objectives that they had mastered the previous year. As a parent, I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to my children. This summer, I will be setting aside a little time each day for some fun learning activities for my kids.  Hopefully, they will have so much fun they won't be worried about practicing their reading, writing, and arithmetic! If you are interested in guest posting for this summer learning series, just shoot me an email at betweenthelines-kam at hotmail dot com.


    A few days ago, the girls and I had some summer fun with Sidewalk Chalk.  And while they were engaged in the fun, I couldn't help but add a few lessons into the games.  You know me...always taking advantage of those teachable moments.  My girls wanted to play hopscotch.  So I drew them an Ultimate Hopscotch board so we could practice our addition and subtraction facts.  Before each turn, I gave the girls a math problem.  After they solved it, they had to throw their rock onto the corresponding number.  Then it was hopscotch as normal.



     After our fun hopscotch game, we decided to decorate for our upcoming 4th of July BBQ. I took this opportunity to teach the girls about the number of stripes and stars on the flag and their meaning. The sun glare made it hard to get a good picture, but we had fun creating it.


    We continued our fun with a few good games of Four Square.  While I couldn't think of an educational twist to put on it, the game encourages coordination and good reflexes.  So...What fun games do you play with Sidewalk chalk?   I'd love some new ideas!  Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!


    Monday, July 4, 2011

    Happy Birthday America!

    I hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July weekend!  Celebrate your family and freedom!


    Sunday, July 3, 2011

    Pink Dandy Sunday Blog Hop


    Welcome to the Pink Dandy Sunday Blog Hop!





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    Between the Lines



    Blog



    *****

    How does this blog hop work?


    1. Make sure to follow Pink Dandy Chatter and Between The Lines so that we can follow you back!!

    2. To ensure that Pink Dandy Chatter will follow you back, you need to make sure and leave a comment (below on this post) saying that you are a new follower and also leave a link to your blog.

    3. Add your blog name and the URL to one of your favorite posts on the Linky below.

    4. Please follow at-least 2 blogs on the list that appeal to you

    5. Your blog must be family friendly ONLY. Explicit sites will be removed from the list.