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.

DIY Apple Chips

I know that making your own "chips" are healthier than buying them at the store, but until now I have always thought it was "easier" to do just that.  Now I see that I can make all kinds of chips myself without breaking a sweat.

These Apple Chips are much better than those you get at the store, or at least cheaper than those from say a Health Food Store.  If you are into these types of snacks, check it out.

These light, bake-and-take snacks are great for any occasion!  I can see these in school or work lunches too.

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, any type
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 225° F.
Attach apple (no need to core) to the Mandolin food guider, set round knob to #2 for thicker slices, or #1 for thinner slices.*
Place apple slices on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silicone Wonder Mat and sprinkle with seasoning blend.
Bake both sheets at the same time, on upper and lower racks, 45 minutes.
Flip slices and bake another 45 minutes. For thicker slices, more baking time may be necessary. 

Monitor throughout baking and remove chips once they crisp up and lose their moisture.
Cool on a cooling rack until chips are crisp and store in a Modular Mates® Container.

*The thicker #2 slices take longer to bake, but it is easier on #2 for beginners. 

As you get used to using your Mandolin, #1 is recommended as chips bake faster.

So many things you can do with the Mandolin, and this is just with apples, it is the perfect piece for every kitchen!

Check it out on my Tupperware Site and I can see all kinds of "chips" in your future!

#TimeForSchool Giveaway Hop

As I usually do, 
I want to welcome you to my stop in the

Our hosts for this event are  

Planet Weidknecht

and 

 LeahSay's Views 

and will run through September 15th 

This is an open theme giveaway,

all participating bloggers will have prizes worth at least $25. 

For my prize this time

I am giving a 

$25 VISA Gift Card

because there is ALWAYS 

ALWAYS something else that is 

needed once school starts.

At least I know I always had that 
last minute shopping run!