My (Almost) World Famous Salsa!

So I have decided what my give-a-way will be for March 1st.  The idea came from my sister, Christy, so I have to give her credit for this one.  I love food and I enjoy cooking so I am going to give away one of my favorite cookbooks!  It is one of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Cook Books!  It is full of great recipes that are easy and quick to make (hence the name).  I have tried many of them and it has always been an "oh wow this is delicious!" food experience - and who doesn't like great food?  So if you are reading this and you love Rachael Ray - just make sure you are a follower on my blog and I will announce the winner March 1st!

In the spirit of great food - I wanted to share one of my own recipes.  I love salsa and started making my own and it seems to get a lot of praise!  Some have even said that it's like crack because it is so addicting - and there really is no higher compliment than that!  It is basic salsa really but there are just a couple of twists with mine that I believe helps with great flavor! 

I hope you all have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!  Here's the recipe for the salsa (otherwise known as crack salsa!)

Ingredients

3 Tomatoes – chopped

1 Green Pepper – seeded and diced

1 Red Pepper – seeded and diced

1 White Onion – chopped

1 Jalapeno – chopped, diced, leave as many seeds in as you dare

Cilantro – chopped

2 Limes – use the zest and juice from the lime

Salt – to taste

Cinnamon – it’s the secret ingredient!  All you need is a pinch

Combine tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, white onion, jalapeno, and cilantro together.  Add lime zest and juice from both limes.  (The best way to get all the juice is to use your teeth to squeeze the limes – something I learned from Oprah!)  Add salt to taste and a pinch of cinnamon. 

Here is the other secret part to the recipe.  Pour half of the combined ingredients into a blender and pulse a few times until well blended.  Mix blended and chopped ingredients together and refrigerate for about an hour (if possible) before serving.

Enjoy!

Serves 5 – unless you are my sisters – in that case, it serves only one J

A Shout Out To The Singles!

Let's face it - today is one of those days that most single people just love to hate!  As many people get all giddy making plans with their significant other, the rest of us seem to have a big sign taped to our forehead that screams - YES, I AM ALONE TODAY!  Valentine's Day is a holiday that draws a big line between those who have someone in their life and those who do not.  Couples will enjoy nice candlelit dinners at fancy restaurants while the single people will sit at home, lights off, eating Ben & Jerry's, and watching The Real Housewives marathon.  How many single people sat at work and watched an ungodly amount of roses and oversized balloons being delivered - hoping that a friend, your mom, or that creep down the street would send you something just so that you could smile and pretend it was from a "special someone."

Ah yes, Valentine's Day.  No matter how you look at it - No matter how many times you remind yourself that you should just love yourself (blah blah blah!), today was not meant for the singles.  It is a day to celebrate all the couples in the world and all the sappy cards that they buy for each other.  It is a day to get that perfect reservation at that sentimental restaurant as two people stare into each other's eyes hoping that it will turn out like the movies portray it to be.  It is a day to try and live up to all the hype that the commercials make it out to be.

Well, I say that today we also celebrate those of us who are single and proud of it!  Think about it - we did not have to fight with others at Hallmark for that perfect card.  We did not have to beg and plead for a last minute reservation at some over-crowded restaurant!  We did not have to embarrass our loved one at work with expensive flowers and balloons that are too big to fit in our car!  That's right single people across this nation - we saved our money!  We stayed at home in our comfy clothes!  We enjoyed every bit of that double chocolate, brownie fudge ice cream!  (I can hear the emotional music playing in the background now).  I say stand up and be proud!  It is Singles Awareness Day - otherwise known as S.A.D. (wait.. what?!)

So Happy Valentine's Day to all the couples out there - I genuinely hope it was a great day and the magic is still alive!  And also a big Happy Valentine's Day to all the singles out there - if you are like me, it was still a great day and you are really OK with being single!  Or if you are not like me, all I can say is there are only a couple of more hours to this horrible day - hang on just a little bit longer!!

Just A Few Things

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  My sister, Christy, and her family recently purchased their first home which is very exciting!  However, the not so exciting part is that every room in the house needs painting.  Not only painting, but taking down wall paper (which is a nightmare), sanding, and then painting.  My two sisters and I are close and a benefit of being so close is that when one of us takes on a project - it usually means that all three of us are taking on that project!  Therefore, my weekend was spent with paintbrush in hand, Pandora music playing on our phones, endless amounts of Chick Fil A & McDonald's sweet tea - and my little niece and nephew running around loving every minute of it!  Although it is a lot of hard work, we do manage to have fun and laugh a lot in the process.  The end result - basically a brand new house - will make all the work worth it, right!  At least worth it for Christy and her family (wait a minute). 

I just wanted to go over a few things today.  I have received emails from some of you wanting to participate in What's Your Story? - my new section of the blog that will include stories from others and how we can learn from what is going on in your lives.  For those of you who have responded - I will be sending out the questionnaires this week.  If you would like to participate, simply send an email to livingoutmyjourney@gmail.com and I will send you the questionnaire to fill out and return to me.  The form will ask questions about your life and give you a chance to share your story with others.  It is very easy - I promise!  I plan to post 2 or 3 of these each month.  I'm very excited about this new project and hope that many of you will participate!

Also, for any of you that live in the Nashville area - I am starting a project called Pay It Forward Nashville!  This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and really feel like this is the year to take action.  The goal is to have events once a month that will reach out to a person, family, or group of people that are very deserving of something good in their lives!  As we do good for others, it will inspire them to keep it going and pay it forward!  Right now, I am in the very beginning stages - a grassroots effort if you will - and I need to build awareness.  If you have not done so, please go to the facebook page:  www.facebook.com/payitforwardnashville and click "like".  Once you have done that, please "share" it with any and all of your facebook friends that also live in the Nashville area!  I am working on a website and more info will come out soon!

March 1st will be our next give-a-way!  This is a way for me to say "thank-you" to all of you that read my blog.  I gave away a Target gift card last month!  You have to be a follower to win so click on "followers" in the top right corner so that you can have a chance to win something (and read my blog - but winning is fun too!).  I will let you know next week what the prize will be - yes, the waiting will build suspense and yes, I need more time to think of what the prize will be!

Hope you all have a great week and I will see you back here tomorrow!

What's Your Story?

I was out a couple of weeks ago and upon meeting someone, they asked me - so what's your story?  In my over-analyzing, over-thinking kind of way I was unsure how to respond and my thoughts were racing.   Does he want to know my entire story?  Where should I start?  Maybe we should sit down for this.  My face is not very good at hiding what I am thinking so he looked at me and said - just the basics will be fine.  This began a great conversation of learning each other's stories and that experience plus my own curiosity about people led me to wanting to start this new idea. 

I am excited about including other people's stories into my blog.  I hope to have sit down conversations with various people and actually interview them to get their story!  However, some of you who read my blog do not live close by and I really want to know your story as well.  I have come up with various questions I would ask to get a glimpse into your life and would like to know if any of you would like to submit your stories for an upcoming blog.  If you are interested, simply send me an email and I will send you a questionnaire to fill out and send back to me.   You can click on the contact info under my profile to submit an email.  If you have any trouble, the address is:  livingoutmyjourney@gmail.com. 

Don't worry - I am not asking you to write a book.  The questions will be a guide to use and of course you do not have to share anything that you do not want others to read - it is not a tell-all for me to share all your deepest darkest secrets!  It will simply help us learn more about you, where life has taken you so far, and your goals for the future.  I know that we can all learn from others and the life they are living.  I hope to hear from many of you and believe that it will be a great addition to my blog!

Why I Love Publix - And You Should Too!

 

I love to grocery shop!  I hear so many people saying that they hate it - but I have always enjoyed it.  I think it comes from my mom because she loves to grocery shop as well.  When we were younger, she preferred to go by herself whenever possible.  She said that my sisters and I would always ask for more than she planned to buy.  Then we would try to sneak things into the cart so that it would find its way to the checkout before she had a chance to put it back!  I think they used to make shopping carts differently because I can remember riding underneath the cart and thinking how cool that was.  Did anyone else do that as a kid?  Now when I am pushing a shopping cart, I have no idea how any child could fit under there comfortably!  Now that I think about it, maybe one of the reasons Mom loved to grocery shop was because it was time for her to be by herself - away from us kids!  Growing up, we were a Kroger and Walmart kind of family.  I am from Jackson, Tennessee, and those are really the only two choices when it comes to grocery shopping.  As I got older I heard about other stores, but only ever experienced Kroger and Walmart - until I moved to Nashville and my eyes were opened to a new store, one I had never heard of...a place called Publix. 

My first time was one that I will never forget.  As I walked through the sliding doors I was immediately greeted by such friendly faces.  All of the workers in their green shirts were walking around as though they actually enjoyed their job!  There was a different energy here than what I had experienced at other places and my heart felt all warm and tingly inside.  My first stop was the bakery - the sights and smells are what I imagine part of Heaven to be like.  Fresh bread, decadent desserts, muffins, cakes, and pies - all begging to be tasted.  As I stood smiling in the middle of the bakery section, just taking it all in I heard - Welcome to Publix, how can I help you today?  These people were so nice and offered me a sample and I love a good food sample!  As I turned the corner, I noticed a nice older lady cooking.  She was actually cooking an entire meal and offered free samples for us to try!  Of course I did not turn it down and she gave me the recipe card to go along with it.  How great is that?!  The produce section was overflowing with beautiful and fresh vegetables.  I immediately realized that this is what grocery shopping was meant to be like.  If I remember correctly, a small tear made its way down my face. 

Normally when I mention Publix to someone, their first response is - they are too high!  I cannot afford to shop there!  Although I can appreciate their response and agree that some of their products cost more than other places, I have learned the art of smart shopping and would like to pass it on to you.  My receipts now show at least a 50% savings and some items I get for practically free!  50% savings?  Almost free products? At Publix?  Kevin, that's not possible!  Yes people - I tell you the truth!  The secret lies in two words - BOGO and coupons.  Each week, Publix advertises Buy One Get One free on various items throughout the store.  At first I was buying one and also getting the free one.  Then I realized that if I just buy one - then I am getting it for half price!  (Yes, I know that is common sense for some of you, but it was actually a break through moment for me!)  The second part of the equation is coupons.  Each week now, I cut out all of the coupons in the weekly fliers.  Unless its baby products, girly products, or old people products - I cut it out because you never know what is going to go on sale.  I have an organizer and file them each week.  It is a little like the show Extreme Couponing but I am not quite to their level - not yet at least.  I have the Publix Ap on my iPhone and every Wednesday I look to see what the BOGO's (like how I use the lingo?) are for that week.  Many times, I will have a coupon to put with the product as well.  When that happens - it is an exciting moment because you save lots!  I have bought cereal for fifty cents before and Edwards frozen chocolate pies for thirty-five cents - that was such a great day!   Occasionally a fellow "couponer" will see me with my coupon organizer and share other secrets with me.  It is great how coupons will turn strangers into instant friends!

Now this is key to smart shopping at Publix.  You  have to plan your meals around your shopping, not the other way around.  If you make a meal list and try to shop for those particular items, you will not save as much.  I am able to make great meals each night with what I buy each week.  It might take a couple of weeks to stock up at first but my pantry and refrigerator now stay fully stocked - and that never happened before with those other places.  Meats and vegetables are rarely BOGO at Publix so I buy them on a need to have basis.  Before some of the moms out there blast me with emails - let me beat you to it and say - yes, I know that your results may be slightly different than mine when shopping for an entire family and yes, I also know that when you have kids you need to go to ONE store and get everything that you need in ONE stop (my sister tells me this all the time).  All I am saying is - try it!  I still visit some of the other stores from time to time to get necessary items that may not be on sale at Publix, but I would safely say that 90% of what I buy comes from Publix.  If you have never been, just try it!  The combination of exceptional customer service and great savings have made me a faithful Publix customer - and if I can help any of you save a dollar here and there - I am more than happy to share it! 

If any of you have any shopping secrets that you would like to pass along - use the comment section below to share it!  Happy Shopping Everyone!

A Preview Of What's To Come

I am sitting at a coffee shop here in my neighborhood.  It is one of my new favorite spots and it is a great place to write!  I am also learning that I do not have a firm grasp on the entire coffee lingo.  I ordered a "macchiato" - very confident that I fit in with the coffee house crowd.  The barista (I do know that term!) looked at me with a combination of hesitation and pity and asked if I was sure that's what I wanted since a macchiato was simply espresso with foam on it.  Basically, it would be over in about two sips.  I immediately responded with a nervous laugh and a - what I meant to say was..... and she helped me make a better decision.  Hopefully in time, I will gain a better understanding of the terminology and be able to order a crazy sounding drink with proper confidence. 

While here, I did something that I rarely do - I went back and read my blogs from January.  Normally, once I post it I do not go back and read it.  Oprah says that she rarely watches herself on TV so I do not need to go back and read my own blogs, right?  Well, I noticed that for now, I should go back and read them - especially proofread before posting them out into the world.  I am a stickler for spelling and grammar and I noticed a few grammatical errors (embarrassing!) for which I deeply apologize for and promise to do better in the future.  I guess Oprah has "people" to help her and the last time I checked - I do not have "people" yet so I better keep proofreading my own work for now. 

However, the other positive outcome that came out of rereading January's blogs was to have a better focus of where February is going.  I love writing and doing this blog and I try to maintain a focused energy on where it is going.  I take it seriously and have a strong desire to encourage others in their journey.  I hope that each month gets better than the last and I know that planning on my part will help me to work harder and produce more entertaining yet effective blogs. 

As you visit my blog this month (and I hope you will) I plan to incorporate some of the things I talked about in January.  I am moving forward with my own personal goals and although it helps me to talk about them here, I hope that it encourages you with your own goals for 2012.  I am also really excited about including other people's stories as part of my blog!  My goal is to publish two of them this month.  I may be reaching out to some of you to hear your story.  If you know someone that has a very interesting life (not the boring ones) and would encourage all of us - let me know! I will include Kevin's Monthly Review (I'm not liking the name - I need suggestions!) and I am sure that a funny story will come out this month as well.  For those of you in the Nashville area, there will be a push towards Pay It Forward Nashville - my big dream - so get ready for some exciting news for that this month as well!  And another give-a-way will happen March 1st - wow, I have a lot to work on this month!

I hope that February includes a lot of exciting things for you as well.  I almost forgot that Valentine's Day will be here soon.  I guess that clearly shows that I am single!  We also get one extra day this leap year and that's very exciting for anyone who was born on February 29th - my sister, Christy, being one of them!  So let's start this month off with ideas, vision, hard work, and some fun along the way, too!  Hope you all have a great weekend and I will see you back here Monday!

And The Winner Is....

Today is the day for our first give-a-way!  The winner is.....

MELINDARIVERA82!!!

Applause!  Applause! 

Melinda will be receiving a Target gift card!  Each winner every month will be chosen in a different way.  This time I had a friend choose a number between 1 and 30 (the number of followers on this blog) and that is how the winner was selected.  Congratulations and we will have another give-a-way March 1st!

Today marks the beginning of a new month!  It is hard to believe that we are already in February, isn't it?  If you had to rate January when it comes to achieving your goals for the new year - how did you do?  If it included more working out, hopefully you have not quit the gym yet.  If it included eating healthier, hopefully the pantry is not stocked with junk food again.  Whatever your goals are I hope that you are moving forward in seeing them become a reality.  However, if you have slipped or completely fallen off the wagon, there's good news!  It is now February 1st and you can start over!  Do not beat yourself up.  You are not a failure (maybe just a loser) but you can start new today and get back to where you want to be!  It may be easier to just give up all together, but in the long run it is much better to try and try again.  You can do it!  (I feel like a coach right now - and I was only joking about calling you a loser!)

Today's blog is short and sweet but I mainly wanted to congratulate those who are moving forward with their goals and encourage those who may need a little push to keep going!  One month down and eleven more to go!  Hope everyone is having a great week and I will see you back here tomorrow!