Thursday, November 28, 2013

Strawberry Banana Smoothie



Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1 serving
440 calories

8 oz Almond Milk (60 calories)
1 scoop protein powder (80 calories)
3 tablespoons chia seeds (150 calories for 3 tablespoons)
1 banana (100 calories)
6 frozen strawberries (50 calories)

Blend.

I use a lot of Chia seeds because they are so nutritious, have 5 grams of protein per serving (3 tablespoons), loads of fiber and I like the texture. If you're watching calories cut down on those.

This will be a smoothie I make often. It is simple and delicious.

Cake Batter Protein Shake

Cake Batter Protein Shake

8 oz Almond Milk
1 scoop VANILLA protein powder (I use Garden of Life Raw)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon butter extract (sounds weird, smells like movie theater butter popcorn)
1 tablespoon fat/sugar free vanilla pudding mix
1 Banana
2 cups ice cubes


Blend.

This wasn't a favorite of mine. I don't like ice cubes because they dilute the shake and don't add much to it. It might have been better if I had used vanilla protein powder, but I added the vanilla to hopefully  make up for that. Other recipes on the web show sprinkles on top. I didn't use them b/c I don't care for meaningless garnish. I might make it again when I get vanilla protein powder.

UPDATE: Do NOT use unflavored protein powder.I have revised it in the recipe. I also added a banana, because just cake batter is bland. Next time I will use frozen strawberries instead of  ice cubes. I'd rather have the added nutrition.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Strawberry Shortcake Protein Shake

Strawberry Shortcake Protein Shake
 It was a nice shake, but I think a straight out Strawberry Protein Shake would have been just as good.

Strawberry Protein Shake
1 serving = 350 calories


1 scoop protein powder  (Vanilla might make a good base, I usually use Garden of Life Raw Protein                                                     powder without a flavor.)
8 oz Almond Milk
6 large strawberries
1 tsp sugar and fat free vanilla pudding mix
2 tbs Chia seeds (I use these b/c they are nutritionally great and don't really impart a taste)

To make it a bit more vanilla-y I put in some vanilla extract.

Blend.


Sunday, November 17, 2013

Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake

I've gotten started with drinking protein shakes for breakfast. I'm starting to really like them. They are filling, easy and packed with lots of vitamins and protein.

Today's shake is:

 Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake.

1 serving  = 285 calories and 23 grams of protein

1 cup Almond Milk
1 Scoop Protein Powder (I used Garden of Life Raw Protein, unflavored)
1/2 cup of frozen dark sweet cherries
2 tablespoons of chia seeds
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Blend it all up!




Sunday, November 3, 2013

NaNoWriMo 2013


This year I will be participating again. I started in 2006 - 2010 and 'won' each time. I sort of quit doing it. I don't know why, because it is a lot of fun.

It is Day 3 and I should have 5,001 words written. Instead, I'm just writing in my blog.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Deep Scatter Etsy Shop

Deep Scatter is my Etsy shop. I am trying to clear out my craft room and am selling all my assorted crafty things I never got around to selling.

I love the idea of up-cycling and when I had small laptop and a few computer keyboards to throw out, I took out the parts that I thought looked the most interesting. I was hoping to make some sort of magnet set or jewelry items from them, but (per usual) I never got around to doing it.

On Etsy I have these items for sale:



Monday, September 23, 2013

Fage Yogurt



I am a Bzz Agent and was lucky enough to get invited to the Fage campaign.  I received free coupons to try Fage plain  yogurt.

At first I was skeptical about the plain yogurt. I never have liked it. There were several things, though that quickly won me over to the Fage brand.

They have only a few ingredients in their yogurt. The 0% fat plain Fage has Grade A pasturized skim milk, live active yogurt cultures and lists the five cultures. That's it.

It is a very thick yogurt, which is another thing that I liked. It doesn't include thickeners, so it is true Greek yogurt and not Greek Style yogurt.

Because I don't like plain, I put in raspberry preserves that I really like. I like that I can control the amount I put into my yogurt. Even with the individual cups of Fage, you can control the amount of sweeteners. They put the extra stuff on the side not on the bottom. So, if you didn't want to put it all in, you wouldn't have to.

I also love seasonal tastes. This weekend I opened a can of pumpkin pie filling and put some of that in the yogurt which was quite tasty. For my tastes I added some sugar, I like it a tad sweeter.

This yogurt is so thick I think it will be a great stand in for sour cream. I'm looking forward to making a dip out of this later this week.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Olay Fresh Effects

I received Olay Fresh Effects from Influenster, my opinions are my own.

 Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream! Skin Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen, Fair to Light

I don't usually wear make-up to work because I have a very active job. If I wear make-up I always "feel" by 11 am that my make-up is melting off my face. It's not true, but that's the way I feel.

When I first received this I thought this was just a lotion. I've heard of BB Creams, but never understood exactly what it means. On the box it says it is short for Beauty Balm, which still tells me nothing. The back of the package continues to explain that it is one of Asia's hottest beauty sensations. Mostly I was looking forward to this because I love the Oil of Olay brand.

On the side of the box they state 6 Skin Perfecting Benefits in one step. I thought for my review I would just go over each of those benefits and my thoughts on each.
  • Refreshes: I'm not sure how they mean 'refreshes'. I put this on in the morning when I already feel fresh. Perhaps because it is very light I don't feel like my skin is closed off with a thick, heavy cream. I'm fussy about what lotions I use. There are some textures and weightiness to some lotions that bug me. This one is light and I later forgot that I was wearing it. 
  • Brightens: I am very fair skinned and particular about the colors I put on my skin. I chose the Fair to Light color and it works perfectly with my color. I'm very happy about that.
  • Evens Tone: This was the most surprising for me. I have some red blotches and this toned them down and did a good job of covering them up. I feel like it worked better than the foundations I usually use. 
  • Hydrates: The package states that it has 24 hr hydration. My skin felt nice all day, so I'll give it points for that. Since I have oily skin my face never feels dry, but it did feel healthy all day. 
  • Smoothes: I don't have many blemishes so this wasn't something I was looking for. 
  • Protects: It contains a sunscreen broad spectrum SPF 15. The box suggests you put it on 20 minutes before sun exposure and to reapply every 2 hours. It does not work for swimming or sweating. I figure, though, if I'm going to be out in the yard working up a sweat and jumping into the pool later, I'd probably forgo "looking pretty" to getting a sunscreen to do the job. It is nice to know, though, that if I end up outside for a half an hour or so in the middle of my day, like I did on Monday, I'll be protected.

What it doesn't mention is that it has a scent. It is very light and after about 10 minutes fades a great deal. It doesn't smell like the basic pink Oil of Olay in a bottle, but it is just as pleasant.

If you're looking for a cream that will even your skin tone and be light on your skin, I would recommend this product. When I finish using this tube I will be getting more.

To buy and learn more: Olay Fresh Effects

To purchase and read even more reviews (I love Amazon reviews): Amazon.com

There is one review on Amazon in which a customer says she broke out using it. I was very impressed to see that Oil of Olay (P&G) asked the person to contact them so they could discuss her experience with the product. That shows they are a caring company and I like that.






Sunday, July 14, 2013

My Own Mr. Darcy giveaway from Susan Heim on Writing blog







After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.






Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.















Excerpt 1

Janessa folded her arms and looked at me for so long I started to
squirm. “What?”
“I wish you’d look at yourself. You’re ruining your life with this stupid
obsession.”
“I’m not obsessed.” I stood up quickly, nearly tipping my chair over. I
rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I could feel Janessa’s eyes on me
the entire time, but I refused to look at her. “And just because I’m not
interested in this guy doesn’t mean my life is ruined.”
“Let me guess. Was he blond?”
“Knock it off.”
“Too short?”
“He wasn’t short. I’ve got to go.” I left the kitchen with Janessa on my
heels.
“Was he too cheerful?”
“Oh brother. I’m not having this conversation with you.”
Janessa grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “Yes, you are.”
“I’m going to be late for work.”
“Then we’d better talk fast.”
“I don’t have anything to say,” I said.
“Then I’ll talk. You listen. You have to start giving these guys a
chance.”
I folded my arms tightly. “I give them a chance.”
“You give them one date, two at the most. But you’re not really giving
them a chance because your mind’s already made up before you even go out.”
I was getting annoyed. “I don’t have time for this conversation again.”
Janessa was practically reciting word for word what she’d said after my last
date. And the one before that.
“Lizzie. If you don’t want to have the same conversation, do something
different. Shake things up a little.” She smiled and did a little shimmy. I
refused to smile no matter how silly she looked.
“How do you suggest I do that?”
“If this guy… What’s his name?”
“Chad.”
“If Chad calls you back, go out with him again.”
“I don’t see the point.”
“Did you get a serial killer vibe from him?”
“No, I got a nice-guy-that-doesn’t-deserve-to-be-led-on vibe from him.”
“Nice guys are good. So you’ll say yes, right?”
“If I’m not interested, it wouldn’t be fair to say yes.”
“Oh knock off the baloney. You haven’t been fair to a guy since high
school. You’re just afraid if you get to know a guy, you might like him. And
wouldn’t that be awful? Was Chad funny?”
“Yes, he was funny.”
“Handsome?”
I sighed. “I don’t know if I’d call him handsome, but he was cute.”
“Cute is good. Especially if he was funny. So go out with him again.”
“You act like it’s all up to me.” I walked to the closet and collected
my purse. Like a tiger leaping on her prey, Janessa pounced at the bowl on the
entry table and grabbed my car keys. “This isn’t funny, Janessa. I’m going to
be late for work.”
“Then let’s make a deal. You agree to go out with him ten times before
you toss him aside and I’ll give you your keys.”
“Ten times? No way.”
“That’ll give you time to get to know him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’m serious, Lizzie. Ten is a good number. In that amount of time, you
can make a real decision. Instead of one based on a stupid movie.”
Now Janessa was skipping through a minefield. “It’s not a stupid movie
and I’ve got to go.”
“It’s the stupidest movie in the world if it ruins your life.”
“Nothing’s ruining my life and I’m going to be late. Give me my keys and
we’ll talk about this later.” A little tussle ensued as I tried to rescue my
keys from her clutches. I almost had them when she darted to the bathroom and
shut the door hard and fast, locking it behind her. “This is real mature.”
“I don’t care about mature. You’re my best friend, Lizzie.  I love
you and I’m trying to save you from yourself.”
I banged on the door. “Give me the keys. Now.” My voice had become
shrieky.
“I’ll give you the keys as soon as you promise you’ll go out with him
ten times.”
“I doubt he’ll ask me out again.”
“Why? Were you a jerk?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
I hesitated, knowing I hadn’t been very good company. “I’m pretty sure.”
“If he doesn’t ask you out, you have to ask him.”
“No way am I asking out a guy ten times. No way!”
“You just have to ask him out once. If he doesn’t return the favor you
can move on. But you have to be nice to him and give him a reason to want to
ask you out again.”
“This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”
“Listen Liz, I’m doing this for you. Give a guy a chance before you give
him the old heave-ho.”
I leaned my head on the door. “Just give me the keys. Please.” Now I was
whining.
“You’re the one keeping yourself from your keys. And probably true
love.”
I looked at my watch. Now I’d have to risk a speeding ticket or get to
work five minutes late. I wasn’t sure which was worse—a ticket from a police
officer or a tongue-lashing from Delia.
“Fine. I’ll go out with him again if he asks me.”
“And?”
“If he doesn’t ask me, I’ll ask him?”
“Right. And how many times will you go out with him?”
“Way too many,” I said under my breath.
“I can’t hear you.”
“Ten times. If he asks me.”
The door cracked open. “And you’ll be nice to him?”
“Whatever you say. Now give me the keys.”
Janessa emerged from the bathroom and triumphantly dropped my keys into
my outstretched hand.
“You’re an idiot,” I said.
“An idiot that loves you and wants you to be happy,” she said. She
turned and headed down the hall. “Someday you’ll thank me,” she sang.
“If I don’t kill you first.” I slammed the door behind me.



Excerpt 2

It was a busy Monday morning.
I was looking out at the line of waiting customers when he walked in. I gasped,
shut my thumb in my cash drawer, and then tried not to cry while Mr. Sandoval
from a hearing aid store asked me if I was okay.
When I finished Mr. Sandoval’s
transaction, I looked at him again. He was taller than anyone in the room. Of
course. His hair was dark and a little disheveled. It was hard to see from
where I was, but his eyes looked like they were blue. And best of all, he
didn’t smile. He looked gorgeously unpleasant and impatient. He looked around
the room and his eyes met mine. Still he didn’t smile. My heart was racing. He
looked perfect.
I did my best to time it so I’d be
his teller. I went a little too fast with one customer and accidentally shorted
her a twenty dollar bill. I tried to concentrate as I corrected the
transaction. I slowed way down on the next customer, but just when I thought I
was finished and would be able to help him next, my customer asked me to break
a ten into change. He walked up to Courtney’s window while I counted out
nickels and dimes. Furious, I stomped my foot. Not too loudly but enough to
release a little of my frustration.
I listened closely as Courtney helped
him to see if I could learn anything, but he hardly spoke. He gave a terse nod
when Courtney thanked him for coming in and turned on his heel and left. He had
excellent posture and a nice, confident stride.
I finished with my customer, and then
before anyone else could step forward, I picked up the phone and dialed
Courtney’s extension. She glanced at her phone’s display and looked over at me
curiously.
            “Who was
that?” I whispered when she picked up the receiver.
“Elizabeth, look how many customers
there are.”
“I know. Just tell me who that was.”
I watched as Courtney picked up her last transaction slip.
“His name is Matt Dawson.”
“Is he married?”
“I have no idea,” Courtney said.
“Was he wearing a ring?”
“I didn’t look. What’s going on,
Lizzie?”
“I just need to know about him.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about
him and Delia’s watching us. I’ve gotta go.”
Matt Dawson. Matt. Matthew. Like
Matthew Macfadyen. Dawson. It was pretty close to Darcy. The only way it could
be better is if his name was Fitzwilliam but I’d never met a Fitzwilliam in my
life.
Matt Dawson.
This had to be a sign.  






Saturday, July 13, 2013

Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife Giveaway

Click the link to enter the Scunci Giveaway! I love their hair ties!


Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife Giveaway Link


In her words:

scünci just released their 2013 trend collection, and sent me some complimentary products to try out. I tend to style my hair more in the summer - it's just the perfect time to have pretty hair accessories to accentuate whatever I am wearing. Whether I am headed to the grocery store, or off camping, I still want to look good and not like a candidate for the People of Walmart website. ;) With fun pieces like the Faux Suede Bow Bobby Pins, and the Wide Loose Knit Color Striped Headband, scüncihas lots of options that match just abut anything in my wardrobe without breaking the bank. They are easy to pop into any overnight bag and pack along to take on vacation.