Rustic Apple Tart

I love doing these "freestyle" desserts.  
They always taste great and no one can "pick" if its not picture perfect because they are "freestyle".  Ok that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Now I know this tastes great just as it is, but with a little caramel sauce that you can easily make or store bought, would be right over the top!

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust 
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored 
• ½ lemon, juiced using Zest ’N Press® Gadget 
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning 
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425° F. 
2.  On Silicone Wonder® Mat, roll out pie dough into an oblong circle. Lift Mat and lay onto cookie sheet. 
3.  Set Mandolin round knob to #2, triangular knob to “lock” and select the straight v-shaped blade insert. Secure apple to food guider and slice. 
4.  Cut apple slice circles in half and place in a medium bowl. 
5. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and toss to combine. 
6.  Top pie crust with thin, even layer of apple mixture and fold up outer edges of crust. 
7.  Bake 20–25 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. 
8.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tupperware has the solution.  Check out all our great products on my Tupperware Site.

Have a question?  Just ask.  I love to talk about the beauty of Tupperware for my hostesses, my purchasers and of course my team mates.  Join us!

Green Chili Chicken Sliders

These really look good (and interesting combo of flavors) for just about any time, but well its now football season so I can see these being made on many a Sunday while the "boys" are glued to the TV or maybe taken as part of the tailgate fare.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 4.5 oz. can green chilies, drained well
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp. minced chive or green onion
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Add water to the Tupperware® SmartSteamer water tray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, chilies, cilantro, garlic, and salt until well combined. 
3. Divide mixture evenly into 6 mini patties.
4. Arrange 3 patties in a single layer in the casserole tray of the Tupperware® SmartSteamer. 
5. Place casserole tray on top of the water tray. 
6. Arrange 3 remaining patties in a single layer in the steamer tray and place steamer tray on top of casserole tray.
7. Cover and microwave 10 minutes or until the patties register 165° F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a patty. 
8. Remove from microwave.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together sour cream, chive, and lime juice. 
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve with sour cream mixture and slider buns.

I keep telling you that Tupperware has the answer to so many of our dining questions.  I hope this is just another one of these you will try very soon.

Need some Tupperware products?  Stop by my Tupperware site and check it out.  

Have a question?  Just ask, I'd love to help.

Pasta Fagioli

I don't know about you, but when it starts to get cool, I think soup.
I know we still haven't gotten "cool" yet, but I have to believe it will be soon, I mean it is the end of September!

This one is pretty easy and tasty to boot!

Yield: 8
Serving Size: ¾ cup

Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
• 3¼ cups fat-free low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
• 4 oz. ditalini or other small pasta
• 4 cups kale or Swiss chard, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated using Grate ’N Measure® Grater
• ¼ cup chopped parsley

Instructions

1. In base of Quick Chef® Pro System, process onion and garlic until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat a 6-Qt. pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant.
4. Chop tomatoes in base of Quick Chef® Pro System.
5. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, beans and seasoning blend to onions and garlic.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes.
7. Cook ditalini in Microwave Pasta Maker  for 8 minutes. Drain.
8. Add kale and cooked pasta to pot.
9. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted.
10. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.

I love my Tupperware, and love that they also share all kinds of great recipes with us.  If you need any of the Tupperware pieces mentioned here, or anything else, check out my Tupperware Site.  If you have a question, don't wait, ask away!

Pasta with brown butter and walnuts

When I saw this on my Tupperware site's back office, I thought this was an interesting combination and elevates a simple pasta dish to an interesting level as a side dish, or week night dinner.  

Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 16-oz. box angel hair pasta
• 6 cups water
• 1 tbsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1½ stick butter
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced with Zest ’N Press® Gadget
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped in Chop ’N Prep™ Chef

Optional for serving

• 8–10 fresh basil leaves
• 2 ripe pears, peeled and sliced thin, using Mandoline

Instructions

1. Place pasta, water and salt in base of Microwave Pasta Maker. 
2. Microwave on high, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes or until al dente.
3. Place Chef Series II 11" Fry Pan over medium high heat and add butter. 
4. Melt butter and then wait for it to start to brown. 
5. Once it begins to take on a brown color and smells nutty, about 2 minutes after melting, remove from heat.
6. Whisk lemon zest and juice into warm butter.
7. Strain cooked pasta and place in large bowl. Toss with browned butter sauce and chopped walnuts. 
8. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve topped with fresh basil and sliced pears, if desired.

As always, if you see something that peeks your interest, and want to have in your kitchen, check it out on my Tupperware Site.

Have a question?  Just send me a message.

Want to earn some Tupperware Free? Message me and we will definitely talk.  So much you can earn for FREE or at a great discount.

Positive Thinking - its time now

I know I keep telling myself that I need to be more positive.
I need to have more positive thinking.

It's not yet a "done deal" so to speak.  
I try but I'm not quite there yet.

Sometimes I, and I believe you, need a visual to drive that message home.

What do you think?
Is this a visual that will help drive the message home for you?

Let's start making this our morning mantra that we continue thinking and believing in during the day.
And share with our kids and their friends and our neighbors.

Who knows, we could unleash a slew of Positive Thinkers!
And then we could become this huge force that can be rallied behind and really get things done.

Thanks Rachel for the second reminder.  We ARE a wonderful group of positive people who WILL make a difference!

Apple Coffee Cake

It is definitely getting to be apple picking time and this recipe for an Apple Coffee Cake is perfect.  Easy to make and have for any time of day ... share with a friend or loved ones with a nice big mug of coffee.  Oh YUMMMM

Yield: 9
Serving Size: 1 piece

Ingredients

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp. Simple Indulgence Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk, any type
• ¼ tsp. table salt
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder

Topping

• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup oats
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 apple, cored & quartered

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Whisk together sugars, Simple Indulgence Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning, and softened butter until combined, should look like wet sand.
3. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and milk.
4. Stir in flour and baking powder.
5. Pour into Ultra Pro 2-Qt. Square Pan and spread until even with spatula.
6. Top with apple topping and bake for 40-50 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Topping

1. Stir together melted butter, oats, flour, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Assemble Grate Master with slicing cone. Place a small bowl underneath. 
3. Place apple quarters one at a time into the hopper and turn handle to slice. 
4. Repeat until apple is sliced. 
5. Toss with oat mixture and sprinkle onto the top of batter.

Now I would probably dust the top of this with powdered sugar, just to "accent" the nooks and crannies that occur, but that's a personal preference.

Now if you made the caramel or chocolate sauce I talked about here, you could also drizzle each serving with that too!

Help your children Fly!

One of the things I have always told my kids was to try.

I think it was probably the number 2 thing I "harped" on, as they would tell me.  

(The first being that I loved them and always would, forever and always.)

I think this is part of what gave them the confidence to go out and try or should I say fly?

I would say it in "different" ways and not just a "why don't you try" comment.

Sometimes it would be "You can do it".

Sometimes it would be my "infamous" ... "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't because you are not "capable".  

Just smile sweetly and say "watch me".  

Then go out and DO it".

I think knowing that I would always be there to catch them if they fell, made them more willing to test their wings.

Now don't get me wrong, it has led to a few "mom moments" where I really wished I didn't give them so much confidence.  But they have always made me proud.

And not just when they succeeded in something that they wanted to do but also when they failed.  

The failing part was sometimes difficult to take, but they did make me proud in just the fact that they tried, that they were willing to take that chance to do something that they thought they could do, even if no one else thought they could.

Potatoes au Gratin

We eat a lot of potatoes in this house.
My hubby is a meat and potato kind of guy so lots and lots of potatoes.  So when I saw this one, in my Tupperware site, I thought it would be a definite must try/make.

Yield: 8 
Serving Size: 1 cup 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 
• 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt 
• ½ tsp. black pepper 
• 2–3 cloves garlic, crushed using Garlic Wonder® Gadget 
• 3 lbs./1.3 kg potatoes, peeled 
• 2 cups grated cheese; cheddar, parmesan, or gruyere 

Instructions:  

1. In base of Mix-N-Stor® Pitcher, whisk together milk, heavy cream, flour, salt, black pepper, and crushed garlic. 
2. Assemble Mandoline with straight blade and set circular knob to #2. Attach a peeled potato to food guard and slide down Mandoline to slice. 
3. Cut large potatoes in half, if necessary, before attaching to a food guard for easier slicing. 
4. In base of Chef Series II 4.3-Qt Sauteuse, spread an even layer of sliced potatoes. 
5. Pour approximately 1 cup of milk mixture over potatoes. 
6. Repeat layering potatoes and milk until ingredients are used. 
7. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
8. Place cover on pan and put on stove over medium–high heat. 
9. Bring milk mixture to a boil, about 8–10 minutes. 
10. Transfer pan with cover to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and add cheese. 
11. Bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender and cheese has browned. 
12. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yes Tupperware has some awesome cookware, that is professional grade, that I love.  I try to pick up a piece or two for me when I can.  You should check that out as well.  They would make awesome gifts. 

Tupperware makes fabulous bridal shower gifts (they wouldn't need to replace those pans after a few years of marriage), holiday gifts or even housewarming gifts!

If there are Tupperware pieces that you are looking for, please check out my Tupperware site, where you can order at any time, day or night ... even in your PJs.

Lasagna Rolls

I know we enjoy having lasagna in this house, but it really is a lot of work/time to make from scratch.  Plus it always heats up the house, which may not be too bad in the winter ... but the rest of the year, well too much for me.

These Lasagna Rolls 

make for the perfect solution.

Ingredients:

• 1 package lasagna noodles 
• 3 cups ricotta cheese 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese 
• 2 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning Blend 
• ½ tsp. coarse kosher salt 
• 1 egg 
• 3 cups marinara sauce, divided 
• 2 cups mozzarella, divided 

Instructions:

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. 

2. Preheat oven to 350° F. 

3. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, Parmesan, Italian Seasoning Blend, salt and egg until combined. 

4. Once noodles are cooked, drain and run under cold water to cool off. 

5. Lay noodles flat and cut them in half. 

6. Spread approximately 2 tbsp. of ricotta mixture onto each cut lasagna noodle. 

7. Roll up and press seam side down into UltraPro 3.5-Qt. lasagna pan. Lasagna pan base fits approximately 15 rolls. 

8. Once base is full 15 more will fit on the inverted cover. 

9. After all are rolled in UltraPro, spread 1½ cups of marinara sauce over each set of rolls. 10. Then sprinkle each with a cup of mozzarella cheese. 

11. Bake 15–20 minutes or until rolls are heated through. 

These will freeze for up to 1 month. 

Freeze without topping with marinara and mozzarella. 

To bake from frozen: 

Place into UltraPro Lasagna Pan to bake, cover with marinara and mozzarella. 

Bake 30–40 minutes or until heated through.

As you can see, these are pretty easy to make and you can feed quite a few folks or you can freeze them in individual or smaller family size containers for a quick night meal.

I love my Tupperware pieces for quick easy meals that look and taste great.

Banana Crepes with Dulce de Leche

Ok this just looks decedent enough to make any occasion a special occasion.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 crêpe batter recipe (see below), or 8-10 pre-prepared crêpes
• 3 medium bananas, sliced
• 8 tbsp. canned dulce de leche or bottled caramel sauce
• 8 tbsp. chopped pecans
• Optional: whipped topping

Directions:

1. Prepare crêpes according to recipe. Place banana slices in center of crêpe.
2. Drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
3. Fold crêpe in half and half again and place on a serving plate.
4. Prepare a second crêpe as the first and place on plate.
5. Drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
6. Optional: Top with whipped cream.

Basic Crêpe Batter

Makes 10 crêpes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 11⁄3 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose fl our
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• ¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in the base of your Whip ’N Prep™ Chef.
2. Replace cover and turn handle to mix the ingredients until just combined.
3. Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to two days.
4. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray.
5. Heat on medium-high for several minutes. The crêpe pan is hot enough when a drop of cold water sizzles when splashed on the surface of the pan.
6. Ladle a small amount of batter, about ¼ cup, onto the surface of the pan, swirling the pan to achieve an even layer.
7. After 30 seconds, gently peel the sides of the crêpe away from the surface of the crêpe pan using a Saucy Silicone Spatula.
8. Once the bottom side has cooked through and has browned slightly, flip the crêpe over using the spatula.
9. Cook for an additional 30 seconds and then set aside onto wax paper, placing individual sheets between the crêpes to prevent them from sticking together.
10. Repeat this process, spraying the pan with cooking spray each time.

Tupperware always has something interesting for you.  Check out my Tupperware site for all kinds of great products to make your cooking "easier".

#NewYorkBiology #EssentialOil #LavenderOil

To keep big brother happy I received this product for free to facilitate my review, in exchange for my honest opinion. I will only highlight products that I feel will be of benefit to or enjoyed by my readers. For more information regarding product review, please refer to my media kit. 

I have always heard that Lavender is a wonderful scent for relaxation and was very interested in trying this one when I was asked to review this product.

I have not had a lot of experience with Essential Oils, but my thought was .... you need to start somewhere and Lavender is a good thing.

I have to say the oil itself is very strongly scented.  You really only need a drop or two to make a difference in the area where you put it.
I had put some on a cotton ball, using the enclosed stopper and put it into a pillow in my great room.  

I have to say DAYS afterwards you could still smell the Lavender scent, especially when you lean on the pillow.

My daughter has also used it on her cool mask.  She, at times, has headaches and feels better when she wears her mask and lays down.  The Lavender scent is perfect for relaxation (aromatherapy?) so she put some on her mask to try out.  And yes she did like it too.

The only real "problem" I see with this product is that it comes with a medicine style dropper instead of using the European dropper style I have seen on others.

I see what looks like the European style in the bottle cap, but I can't see that it can be used or removed from the cap.  

From what little I have seen and used, the European style gives you more "control" over how many drops you use at any given time.

That being said, I still think this is a very good product for any household.  Just be careful to not use too much or you could be in Lavender Nirvana, but then again, that might not be a bad thing.

I did receive this product for free or at a steep discount as part of the Tomoson.com review program from #NewYorkBiology in exchange for my honest review. Regardless, I never recommend anything that I don't feel would be of benefit to my readers.

Unbe-leaf-able September to Remember Giveaway Hop

This is another stop in the 

Our hostess for this event are

The Mommy Island

and 

The Kids Did It.





My prize
a really nice pair of 
Ria Earrings
Swarovski Studs 

One of the things I really like about these earrings, is the length of the posts.

These are larger than some other studs so having a longer post, allows you to decide how tight you have these against your ear. 

I know the kids have gone back to school and there are "events" for parents or older students where you want to look "dressed".  I think wearing these would be the perfect "topping" to your wardrobe.

Bombay Mango Chicken Salad

This one looks interesting.
I think the "add ins" make this chicken salad a definite must try.

Personally I think chicken salad can be bland, but this one seems to ramp up the flavor and makes this a winner.

Yield: 8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 3 cooked chicken breasts (poached or steamed in the Tupperware® SmartSteamer), diced
• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained
• ½ cup salted, roasted cashews
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In your favorite large bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice and honey.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and gently combine with the dressing.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.

So many things you can do with the SmartSteamer, as shown here.  I use mine a few times a week, so I think it is more than worth the money.  But this month it is on sale, so you really want to grab it now, if you are interested.   

Oh and the SmartSteamer and Vent n Serve "set" is an absolute steal (basically get the 7 piece Vent n Serve set for $10).

Laughter, Imagination and Dreams the ingredients for a very full life

I saw this in one of the Tupperware groups I belong to and knew immediately that I needed to share.  It is my contention that these are the ingredients for a very full life.

Now I could have just shared it on Facebook, but not all of you are my friends on Facebook so I wanted to make sure that this could be viewed by all my followers here.

I wish you all 
Laughter that is timeless,
because we all need this every day, even if it is just to laugh at ourselves.

Imagination that has no age,
just ask the youngest person you know then ask the oldest and I bet they both will fill you with wonder.

And 

Dreams that last forever.
Never EVER give up on your dreams.
Let them allow you to continue reaching every day, because I believe that without dreams, we have very little to look forward to.

These are some of the best gifts we can give to ourselves.  

15 years since that day 9/11/2001 Never Forget

I know I try to post inspirational things or great products that I see or try but today is my post about a day in history that I personally will never forget.  Although the Freedom Tower has finally been completed, I still miss seeing the Twin Towers from a spot in one of the towns surrounding my town. 

It was in that day that many of my fellow US citizens lost their lives in that horrendous act done by Islamic Terrorists.

I have no posts planned for today, other than this.
I encourage you to go read my post on the 12th anniversary of this fateful day.

I hope and pray to God, that we never ever have to deal with this on our soil again.  

Never again should our men and women of the fire service need to deal with the enormity of that day.  
They lost many that day and in the days that followed.  


Their jobs are difficult enough, they risk enough every day just "doing their jobs",  I pray they never need to add more days like this.  
I guess having a professional fireman in my immediate family makes this even more "chilling" for me, because I know that when everyone else is running away from the terror ... he is one of those that is running towards it.

Let us not forget those who lost all

Not after 15 years 

Not ever.

At Tupperware its a New Mid Month Brochure

There are some really AWESOME products that are available in the mid-September brochure at Tupperware.

Some are great for all kinds of celebrations, others are perfect for Halloween and others for any day of the week.  Whatever you select from the Tupperware brochure, I am sure you will be happy with it for years to come.  You can check them out in more detail on my Tupperware Site.

These items below are only available until September 30th, so don't miss out on these.

But we have more things in the brochure that goes out further, in fact into October, October 14th to be exact.  But if you have thoughts of those really super cute Spooktacular Snack Set - tumblers and snack cup - I would order quickly because I don't want you to miss out.  Yes they are that cute!

The Steam'NServe set is at a price that basically gets you the Vent 'n Serve set, with 2 only available in this set pieces, for $10!
That's right it is a STEAL at this price.  The medium and shallow pieces shown in the flyer are part of this set ... and they sell for $25 and $35 each!
Oh and if you purchase the Smart Steamer, either in this set or alone, I will send you a file with recipes that I have collected just to get you started.   Just send me a message with your order number from my Tupperware Site.

Apple Sticks PERFECT for lunch on the go!

I admit, I saw these on the Tupperware site and thought this would be PERFECT for school lunches.  
If you had picked up the lunch it containers (my idea of DIY bento boxes) I think these would work well with these in the bigger section and two nice sections for "dips".  A nice vanilla cinnamon cream cheese or a chocolate cream cheese blend would be really nice.

One of the things I really like is that with just four simple ingredients, you can make the perfect easy-to-eat treat that satisfies each and every taste bud without spending a lot of time in the kitchen or adding a ton of "artificial" things that many pre-made snacks have.

Makes about 16 sticks

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend
• 1 medium green apple, peeled and cored
• 1 9″ prepared pie crust

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Combine sugar and Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend in a small bowl.
3. Assemble Mandolin™ with circular knob and triangular knob set to #9.
4. Using food guard, attach apple and slide down Mandolin to cut sticks.
5. Toss apple sticks in Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend and sugar mixture.
6. Roll out pie dough and slice into 2” strips then cut in half.
7. Wrap 2 apple sticks in each individual pie dough strips.
8. Toss the wrapped apple sticks in the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat.
9. Place onto baking sheet lined with Silicone Wonder® Mat and bake for 15-18 minutes.

If you like caramel, you could take some caramel, roll it out and cut into strips and put in between the two pieces of apple before wrapping in dough and have caramel apple sticks.  Oh yes that does sound good doesn't it?  

What do you think?  

I bet you could make a vanilla drizzle (powdered sugar and lemon juice or water) to go over these too.

Don't these sound great for school or work snacks/desserts?

What else would you put in these to "jazz" up the apple sticks?

Or what dip would you make to go with these?

Try and Blaze Your OWN Trail

You can't accomplish anything without starting

So if you need to start, lets start with the decision to try!

So once you have made that decision, let me clue you in on how to succeed ....

See if all you do is follow the path, you are just following what everyone else has done, where everyone else has gone.  
Now that could lead to success or it could just bring you to where everyone else is.

But, 

Blaze your own trail 

and YOU could be 

more Successful 

than you ever dreamed.

Salads on the Go

I've heard people say that they "wish" they could bring a salad to work instead of spending a fortune going out, but don't want a soggy mess.  It's not just in the Spring or Summer either, its all seasons.
Have you ever heard that or maybe even thought that?

Tupperware has some solutions, but here it is in a nutshell (or should I say a Quick Shake).

It really is just this easy, and with the Quick Shake container, with the screw on top, you don't have to worry about it going all over.

To get you started, here is a quinoa salad that you could take that won't be a soggy mess if you follow the simple packing suggestions above.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp. Cilantro or Lime Vinaigrette preferred dressing
• ¼ cup red pepper, chopped using Chop ’N Prep Chef
• ¼ cup green pepper, chopped using Chop ’N Prep Chef
• ½ cup black beans canned, drained
• 2 cups spinach

Instructions

1. Combine quinoa, vegetable broth and orange juice in Microwave Rice Maker. Replace cover and microwave on high power 15–18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and chill in refrigerator.
2. Layer (bottom to top): dressing, peppers, black beans, ½ cup chilled quinoa, spinach.
3. Securely seal container. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. When ready to serve, shake Quick Shake® Container until all ingredients are combined. 
5. Pour into bowl and serve.

Note
You can make this recipe four times with the amount of quinoa noted.

What problems can they solve

You know when you just need to share

I love when you can learn something yourself when you are trying to teach your kids.

I know when I was trying to decide what it was that I was going to do when I was "finished being a kid" and accept my "adult responsibilities" my parents were wise enough to not ask me what I wanted to be, but what did I wanted to try.

You see they had always raised us kids to "be" whatever we wanted to be, so we were able to always just "be".  Almost like free spirits able to try whatever we wanted to, to experience what we felt we wanted to experience.

In doing this, I believe we were able to experience/try a lot of different things without being pidgin-holed.  We were allowed to express ourselves in ways that many of our friends were not able to or never thought to.

I also think that is why my siblings and I all went different "adult routes" in our careers.

So the next time you talk to your kids or grand-kids, nieces or nephews, don't ask them what they want to be when they "grow up". Ask them what problem or problems they see around them that they want to solve.

You just never know, you could be talking to the one to solves some of the biggest problems facing our world.  Or just the biggest problem that faces them on that day.

Mixed Berry Crumb Cake

This is just something that I will be making often in my house.
Now I may "switch out" the fruit to be different from time to time or what is available in the fresh fruit section of my grocer, but all I can say is YUMMMM.

Just another reason why you want to come back and check out my blog regularly.  These are an example of my "easy" and "yummy" recipes found here often....thank you Tupperware for sharing with me so I can share with my readers.

Yield: 16
Serving Size: 1 piece

Ingredients
Toppings

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend.
• 1/8 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cup cake flour

Cake

• 1/2 cup raspberry perserves
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs

Instructions
Topping Mixture

1. Place butter in 2-cup Micro Pitcher and microwave on high power 20 seconds or until melted.
2. In medium bowl, combine melted butter, sugars, seasoning blend, salt and cake flour. Stir set aside.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In 1-cup Micro Pitcher, warm raspberry preserves by microwaving on high power 20-30 seconds.
3. Place blueberries in medium bowl.
4. Pour warm preserves over berries; set aside.
5. Use room temperature butter to coat UltraPro 3.5-Qt. Lasagna Pan, set aside.
6. In 2-cup Micro Pitcher, microwave 3/4 cup butter on high power 1 minute or until melted. Pour into base of Power Chef® System, set aside to cool.
7. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar; set aside.
8. Add buttermilk and eggs to melted butter in Power Chef® base fitted with the paddle attachment. 
9. Replace cover and pull cord 3-4 times to mix.
10. Gradually add flour mixture to liquids in base of Power Chef® System, pulling 3-4 times to mix.
11. Pour batter into lasagna pan. 
12. Spoon berry mixture over cake batter, followed by topping mixture. 
13. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into cake.

Notes
If you do not have cake flour, similar results can be achieved by removing 2 tbsp. of flour per cup of flour, adding 2 tbsp. of cornstarch, then sifting.

Looking for the Tupperware pieces noted here?  You can check them out on my Tupperware Site, which is open all day and night so you can shop in your PJs if you want.  And yes sometimes I do.

Labor Day Sales at JORD

Time to update your watch wardrobe and NOW is the perfect time.

JORD is having a sale for Labor Day on 5 of their most popular watches.

The Ely Series

Take $30 off with TIME4FALL







The Delmar Series

Take $30 off with TIME2SPARE





The Sydney Series

Take $50 off with TIME2GO





The 94A Series

Take $30 off with TIME4MORE





Or
The Sully Series

Take $30 off with TIME4CHANGE

Also don't forget the Giveaway that JORD is sponsoring.

I told you about it here, but just in case you missed it.

The winner will receive a $100 coupon!!

But everyone will be a winner because just for entering, you will receive a $20 coupon. 

JORD $100 Gift Certificate Entry Form

Hope you can grab one of these watches with this Labor Day Sale at JORD.  I love that this is in honor of the working people!
Sale goes from now 9/2/16 through 9/8/16 at 11:59pm CST.