How chicken got me a husband (True story)

I can remember in late Summer of '91, Dwayne and I went to Miami Beach to take a dip in the ocean and have a little cook-out . We took along food, drinks and a small charcoal grill. I had pre-seasoned some chicken wings to cook on the grill. Dwayne and I were very young, so he really had not really tasted a lot of my dishes. This was the first time he would get to try my barbecued chicken wings. He took his first bite and closed his eyes. He yelled out how good it was and he was amazed at my cooking skills. He then goes on to tell me how me could totally marry me because I knew how to cook chicken. Can it get any more romantic than that? Turns out he was dead serious. The man loves his chicken cooked just right! 

Speaking of chicken, I wanted to share the latest product I tried courtesy of Lawry's and BzzAgent. It is the Lawry's Santa Fe Chili Marinade. I poured the marinade on some chicken wings and added a few dashes of garlic powder, Lawry's Seasoned Salt and some cracked black pepper. I let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour and then I cooked them in the oven using the broil/bake method. 35 minutes later we ended up with some of the best tasting chicken wings my family had ever had. I regret not cooking more of it because they were just that delicious! I highly recommend you try it out for yourself.

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I received a product samples and coupons because I'm a BzzAgent. All opinions are 100% my own.

Yummy sandwich idea

Do you ever have those days that you are trying to come up with something different for dinner, but you want it to be quick and light? I came up with an idea for a sandwich that my family loved. Since it was such a big hit, I figured I would share it with you all.


It is a tuna salad sandwich with baby greens on a whole wheat roll. This is how I made it:
I mixed up a big can of premium tuna (drained) with some mayonnaise, brown mustard, sweet relish, a little bit of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon, some cracked black pepper and a touch of hot pepper sauce. For the greens, I used fancy baby greens (Spring Mix) and tossed them in some balsamic vinaigrette with some feta cheese crumbles and dried cranberries. I then mounded some of the tuna salad on the whole wheat roll and added a generous amount of the greens on top. I served it with some plain potato chips and some sweet tea. Everyone was happy and has requested that I make this meal again. It must be the combination of the hint of sweet, savory and tangy all at the same time that got everyone hooked. I think this sandwich would be great with some oven fries or sweet potato fries. It's amazing how you can transform a simple can of tuna into something so appetizing and delicious! :)

Office Depot Foundation to Donate 400,000 New Sackpacks This Year

Every day, millions of kids carry their stuff to school in plastic grocery bags because they can’t afford a backpack. One innovative way to tackle this problem is to put free backpacks or sackpacks into the hands of children who need them the most. Suddenly, they’re just like other kids. Suddenly, they have hope.

During the past 11 years, the Office Depot Foundation has provided more than 2.5 million backpacks to deserving children in local communities across North America and as far away as China through its National Backpack Program. The Foundation will mark the 12th anniversary of the program this year by giving away approximately 400,000 colorful new sackpacks containing essential school supplies – the most it has ever donated in a single year. But while these numbers are very large, the sackpacks make an impact on a singular level − one child at a time.

It is so wonderful when big corporations help out communities in need. You can learn more at the Office Depot Foundation website.

I have lemons! (okay just a lemon)

I am so thrilled that my dwarf Meyer lemon tree has a lemon on it! I was really sad that after all the blooms that it started with, all of them fell off except one. Thankfully there are some new blooms that started growing this week so I will keep my fingers crossed that we will get a couple more lemons before it's all said and done.

With all the rain we have been getting in the past few weeks, our flower garden has been doing very well. Just about everything has bloomed! The fuchsia lily (calla lily?) took 3 years to finally bloom. The orange lilies really did well this year for the first time since we planted them a couple years ago. We also have some Zinnias that are steady blooming bright pink and orange flowers. Our Lantanas always do well and if I can get my hands on the "fruit cocktail" colored one on clearance, I will buy one. 

We got some more flowers from my hubby's uncle that we need to get into the ground for next year. Almost all of our flowers in the garden came from second hand plants. You can't beat that! Maybe we should call it our bootleg garden :) At least we are helping out the honeybee population, right?

What is growing in your garden?

There are some things women keep quiet about

As a woman, I know that there are some subjects that I prefer not to discuss. I think it's normal to keep quiet about some things. Did you know that the top 3 women's health issues that are least discussed are Fertility, Fibromyalgia and Constipation? Although the first two might not relate to every woman, the "C-word" has affected us some time in our life. Studies show that women are even less likely to discuss constipation as they get older. Thankfully the female members in my home are open about the subject. I received a fabulous gift kit filled with products samples just for women from Boehringer Ingelheim, maker of Dulcolax. My kit came with: a Pink Lands End small tote bag, Tarte Lip Gloss, Clinique Sunscreen,  Dulcolax for Women product sample, One A Day Women’s Multivitamin Tablet and a box of Tampax Pearl.

The main focus behind the kit was to get me talking about women's constipation and how Dulcolax for Women can help. The first thing that stuck out to me was that it was 'gentle enough for sensitive stomachs'. This is a good thing since most laxatives can give you severe stomach pain. I am so glad to have this on hand since one of my daughters will be going away on a week-long trip and generally comes home feeling constipated. I know they will get put to good use! Here are some points about Dulcolax: 

• Dulcolax Laxative Tablets for Women have a comfort coating that protects the stomach and helps women's bodies relieve constipation. 
• Gives women the gentle help they want, and the strength they need for effective constipation relief. 
• They provide dependable, overnight relief from occasional constipation in 6-12 hours. 
• Dulcolax Women is now available in 25-count packs and sold at local retailers nationwide.
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should always ask their health care provider before taking Dulcolax Laxative Tablets.

Here is some great information from  Dr. Jennifer Wider (Medical Adviser for Cosmopolitan Magazine and the Society for Women's Health Research) for "Unmentionable Women's Health Tips:

Ladies, talk more openly about the 'C-word'- Constipation!

Research shows that women suffer from constipation more frequently than men, but preventing and treating constipation is almost always simple if you address it like any other health problem. Buying a Dulcolax product or discussing your condition with your doctor can be the first step toward relief.

If pregnant and constipation is persistent, talk with your doctor about an OTC Option

About half of pregnant women experience constipation at some point during their pregnancy. If the usual steps taken to treat your constipation, such as changes to your diet and lifestyle, are not working, your OBGYN may recommend an OTC oral laxative to help. With a comfort coating that protects your stomach and helps you gently relieve constipation, Dulcolax Laxative Tablets for Women can be an effective constipation option to keep you regular. It also provides overnight relief in 6 to 12 hours.

Some heatlhy (and simple) steps to stay constipation free

The good news is that although constipation is common, you can take some easy steps to help prevent it from occurring. These steps include:

• Make sure to include enough fiber in your diet, which includes eating more fruit, vegetables, wholegrain, nuts, and oats. A sudden increase in fiber may make you feel bloated so increase your increase gradually.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration-and try to cut back on your intake of caffeine, alcohol, and fizzy drinks.
• The toilet is your friend; make sure not to ignore it! If you have the urge to go to the toilet but ignore it, you an significantly increase your chances of experiencing constipation. 
• Remember that the best time to use the toilet for "#2" is the first think in the morning or 30 minutes after a meal. 
• Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Regular exercise will reduce your risk of getting constipation.

I really hope you get a lot out of this information as I did. If you would like more information on Dulcolax products or more tips on fighting constipation, check out the Dulcolax website.