Product Recommendation ~ Butler Bag

Want a purse that won't have you digging for your keys? Butler Bags, created by Jen Groover, are for women who need to be organized. They feature compartmentalized interiors so everything you need is at your finger tips. Through August 1st, you can enter to win a stylish collection.
Visit www.ButlerBag.com/ww to win!

Recipe ~ Rick's Steak Marinade

It is summer time and that means grilling on the barbeque. Nothing tastes better than grilled steak served with a  baked potato and corn on the cob. Why don't you take the time and try out Rick's Steak Marinade which is a real crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
0.5 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
0.25 cup olive oil

Preparation:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and red wine. Crush the garlic and add to the mixture. Add the freshly ground pepper to the mixture. If you want to add a little kick to it, add a little bit of Tabasco sauce.

Place the steaks into this mixture, and marinade for at least 15 minutes. The longer you marinade the steaks, the more flavor they will inherit from the sauce.

Just before removing the steak for the BBQ, add the olive oil and mix. The olive oil will act as a sealant on the steaks, keeping the flavor in while it is being cooked.

As you are cooking your steaks on the BBQ, spoon the rest of the sauce onto the steaks, keeping the steaks moist while cooking.

Continue to use the sauce as you cook the steaks to the desired doneness, ideally using all the sauce.

Crop Chocolate Chocolatier

I recently became a Crop Chocolate Chocolatier, which basically is a design team member for this online store. As part of the design team one of the requirements is to post pictures & a description of our creation to the Sweet Talk section once per quarter. The pictures are of projects we completed with products available from Crop Chocolate during the quarter.

It all started with this:

And here are the cards & layout I completed using the products from Memory Makers.

Book Recommendation ~ Potluck Club Series

The first book in the series

Six women. More problems. New secrets. The Potluck Club is back with a yummy casserole of characters, hilarity, and adventure in Summit View, Colorado! Club leader Evie continues to find newcomer Lisa Leann too tough to swallow, especially since the former Texan's new advice column causes rumors to rise faster than her famous instant-yeast cinnamon rolls. When one member stirs things up with a new 'do and a new outlook on life, the girls find themselves in a pickle as gossip takes over the group, a long-awaited romance doesn't go as planned, and the past comes back to haunt the club's youngest member. Seasoned with loads of faith, forgiveness, and friendship.

The second book in the series

The Potluck ladies are back with more adventures and more food to share. Once again each character has her own back story that takes special meaning in her life: Evie is trying to get attention of her sheriff boyfriend and somehow becomes engaged to another man; Goldie's former husband keeps trying to win her back, and Vonnie brings her long lost son to meet the family of the father he never knew. All of these characters and more are intertwined through their potlucks which bring a sense of togetherness to the story. Together, the women of the Potluck Club talk over their individual problems and issues and teach us about patience, love, and forgiveness.

The third book in the Potluck Club Series

Is the Potluck Club becoming the Bridesmaids Club? Wedding plans and romantic desires abound as the six friends continue to share food, friendship, prayer--and new adventures ranging from hilarious to dangerous!

Shocking rumors, family secrets, and a mountain avalanche threaten the friends' sense of security, their relationships, and even their lives. As Evangeline's wedding day draws near, Lisa Leann's matchmaking ways threaten to cause trouble in more than one relationship. Will the Potluck Club be able to put aside their differences and help each other survive the storms of life and love?

All 3 books are great reads to take with you to the pool or beach. ENJOY!

    

Back to Blogging

Happy Saturday to all of you! I am going through a rough patch in my life right now and decided to go back to blogging, crafting, and finding enjoyment out of life. Starting tomorrow, this blog will be undergoing a few changes.

You will see:

• product recommendations (food, health & beauty, crafting, etc)
• book recommendations
• blogs to check out (to try and network with other bloggers)
• recipes
• completed scrapbook and cards, challenges, other crafts
• items for sale (links to Etsy, ebay, etc)

I hope that you will continue to be a follower of this blog and invite friends to check things out.

Taking a break

Sorry blogger friends, but I don't have the time in my busy schedule to make posts faithfully. I have decided to take a break from blogging until I have the time again. If I do get opportunities, I will make posts but don't be surprised if you only see something once a month.

Thank you for understanding and being such faithful blogger followers.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries

Over the past few weeks I have been DVRing Cook Yourself Thin and watching it while walking my treadmill. They have some really great recipes posted on their LifeTime TV website along with 2 cookbooks available at Amazon.com.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4

Calories per serving, turkey burger: 342

Calories per serving, sweet potato fries: 89

For the sweet potato fries:

2 sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling

Juice of 1/2 lime

For the turkey burger:

1 1/3 pounds lean ground turkey

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2–3 spritzes canola oil in a mister

3 ounces 50%-reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese, cut into thin slices

4 whole-wheat Kaiser rolls

Romaine lettuce leaves

Tomato, sliced

Red onion, sliced

1/2 avocado, sliced

1. For the sweet potato fries, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and dry the potatoes and, with the skin on, slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; cut the rounds into 1/2-inch-thick finger-shaped pieces. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the oil, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.

3. On a baking sheet, spread the sweet potato fries in a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter or bowl and sprinkle with a little more salt.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the lean ground turkey with the diced chiles and season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

5. Heat a large grill pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat and spritz with canola oil. Add the turkey patties to the grill pan and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to low, cover (if using a skillet) and cook until the juices run pale pink, about 4 more minutes. Top with the reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese during the last minute.

6. Toast the rolls in the oven or in a toaster oven. Alternatively, grill them 1 minute on each side.

7. To assemble: On a platter, place the fries and a burger on a bun and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado slices. Squeeze lime juice over the fries and serve.