Curry Chicken With Basmati Rice

By Lisa VanWilliams

Somebody take my fork away please!! This was so good, I will definitely be making this husband approved dinner again. Rich curry flavor, with a hint of spice, and healthy & fragrant supergrain Basmati rice. You can add any variation of vegetables you prefer, and it's fairly simple to throw together. The hardest part was cooking the brown rice.

Ingredients:
1 pack of Trader Joe's Curry Chicken Tenders
2 cups steamed broccoli
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
½ cup petite peas
¼ cup diced onion
½ cup diced peppers
½ of a hot pepper finely diced
Sprinkle chicken with Bob's Red Mill Fine Macaroon Coconut
salt&pepper
olive oil

Brown Basmati Rice

Directions:
Start the rice before anything else, brown rice takes forever (40 mins).
In a pan add the olive oil, onion, peppers, salt & pepper and cook until they soften.

Add in the chicken and then sprinkle it with the coconut.

When the chicken is almost cooked I cut it into smaller bite size pieces. Add the water chestnuts, peas, & steamed broccoli and mix well. Serve over Basmati rice. Enjoy!

Chrissy Teigen Style - 6 Things You Didn't Know

By Lisa VanWilliams

Hot model Chrissy Teigen loves her some bulldogs, likes to cook (she is a foodie), and is married to singer John Legend. She has a food blog called Sodelushious.com which is hysterically funny (I can't wait to try her prosciutto figs recipe & then a bacon,meatball, & mozzarella skewer recipe), and we hear a new cookbook could possibly be hitting the market soon. She's a 2014 Sports Illustrated cover girl and host of MTV's cooking show called Snack-Off. She's graced dozens of magazines and she campaigns for several top fashion brands. We found a few of her favorite things and we wanted to share:

1. What she uses on her lips: Aquaphor Lip Repair
2. Eye treatment: SK-II Signs Eye Mask 14 treatments found @ Sephora for = $115 
3. Givenchy Nior Couture 4-in-1Waterproof mascara = $33
4. Favorite healthy snack: wasabi seaweed sheets
5. What she brings to a dinner party: Momofuku Crack Pie! from Milk Bar http://milkbarstore.com/main/party-cakes/  She also likes to bring one of her own homemade dishes along. 
6. What's always in her fridge: cilantro, green onion, oyster sauce (every sauce really), a wide assortment of hot sauces, eggs, soda water, bacon and Jimmy Dean sausage!

What's not to love about her killer lifestyle. Look out for her co-hosting SPIKE TV's Lip Sync Battle along with LL Cool J that premiers this month!

BONUS feature = Bon Appètit actually shared the Crack Pie recipe if your wondering what the _^*! is in there: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crack-pie

Chrissy Teigen's Blog here:  http://sodelushious.com/welcome/

Here's the GREAT song her husband dedicated to her called All Of Me ♥:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg

Sources:
http://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Chrissy-Teigen-Beauty-Interview-37050522?stream_view=1#photo-37050569
http://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/299493-21-questions-with-model-chrissy-teigen/
http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/news/a26368/chrissy-teigen-beauty-interview/
http://www.thenewpotato.com/2014/04/23/chrissy-teigen-on-jimmy-dean-sausage-and-a-serious-skincare-routine/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrissy_Teigen

Baked Stuffed Artichokes

By Lisa VanWilliams

Raised as a Polish girl, I never had stuffed artichokes growing up. We did the pierogies, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa and sauerkraut items, but never stuffed artichokes (*the things you miss out on by not being Italian). I came across some mini artichokes at our local grocer and decided to give it the "old college try". I have never made them before, but I know there are several health benefits to eating them. Don't get me wrong, I am all about artichoke dip, but I never had them this way. They can be a little tedious, but they will keep you pleasantly entertained. Artichokes are in peak season early spring time March-June. This peculiar shaped green pointy thistle is actually an edible flower. Bring the taste of this Mediterranean delicacy to your home with this garlicy, cheesy, recipe.

Why are they good for your health? To list a few reasons:

• major antioxidant (helps to strengthen immunity)
• packed with fiber
• high in vitamin c (good for bone and muscle health)
• high in nutrients
• low in calories
• helps indigestion problems
• promotes good heart health
• lower blood cholesterol
• helps with weight control by making you feel full

Ingredients:
9 mini artichokes
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup flavored bread crumbs
1-2 lemons
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup olive oil
fresh cracked pepper
½ cup water
½ cup white wine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut the stems off the artichokes so they will sit flat in pan.

Take the point tip and smash it down, this will open up the flower. Cut the pointy thorns off on all the big tips. Drizzle some lemon juice on them to prevent them from discoloring.

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs, garlic, cheese, olive oil, butter, and pepper. Pack the petals with this mixture all the way to the base.

Pour the white wine and water in the bottom of pan and cover. Cook for 40 minutes or until they are tender. You should be able to stick the knife in them easily when they are done.  Remove the foil and brown for a few more minutes if needed.  

Remove the fuzzy choke cavity above the heart before eating (you can do this while prepping, or after cooking). Pull the petals off, place between teeth, and remove pulp and bread crumb mixture into your mouth. Enjoy!

Spring Indoors

By Lisa VanWilliams

Since we can't get out in the garden just yet, we found these cute little flowers that can brighten up and bring some cheer to any window in your home. We found these cute mini Kalanchoe flowers at Trader Joe's for $1.99 each, but any small planted flowers will work (African violets etc).

You can find these cute mini wall baskets (one side is flat) at most craft shops for a few dollars.

I cut a sandwich bag to fit the basket, and add some dirt.

Insert flower and add more dirt if needed to top off. I triple tied some fishing wire and hung these in my kitchen windows.  Enjoy!

Holy Guacamole

By Lisa VanWilliams

Avocados are a Super Food when it comes health benefits. This is a Mexican recipe favorite for chip dipping. It can also be added to tacos, salads, nachos, wraps, or used as a hamburger topping. It's super quick and super easy, and Holy Guacamole! It's good.  

Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats and they can actually help lower your LDL cholesterol. Some other benefits of this fruit include:

• anti-inflammatory
• promotes blood sugar regulation
• preliminary tests show it helps prevent certain cancers - it kills the bad cells. Medical Journals show it can even reverse memory loss in Alzheimer's patients
• fiber packed
• it's said to have 35% more potassium than a banana

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocado's pitted and mashed with fork
salt&pepper to taste
¼ small onion finely diced
1 small garlic cloves pressed
1 jalapeno diced
1 plum tomato finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
½ fresh squeezed lime
dash of garlic and onion powder

If you want to spice it up, feel free to add in some cayenne and a hot pepper.

Directions:
In a small bowl mash up the avocado's and add salt & pepper. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, & lime. Mix it all up and level the top. Cover with plastic wrap and tightly seal (to prevent from turning brown) and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Micro Fashion

By Lisa VanWilliams

Have your kids rock these organic graphic print spandex from Popupshop just like North West. Popupshop is a popular Danish brand that strives to minimize environmental impact and one way they do this is by growing their own chemical and pesticide free cotton in Turkey.

Most of the items on Popupshop are sold out. We found some leggings still available at Sophias Style for around $35 (sign up to get the additional 20% off of $43.99).
http://www.sophiasstyle.com/popupshop-big-boys-girls-beige-black-tiger-print-elastic-waist-leggings-7-8y.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=POPUP-LEGGSTIG7-8&gdftrk=gdfV23099_a_7c918_a_7c6398_a_7cPOPUP_d_LEGGSTIG7_d_8&gclid=CJaajeG-ucQCFUU8gQodv6YA7g#close


*http://www.popupshop.net/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=8

Seed Starters

By Lisa VanWilliams

If you live in New England, now is a great time to start your seedlings indoors. We picked up a starter kit for under $5, and we were able to get all organic seeds on sale for 40% off. My daughter has been asking me for dayyyyssss when we could do this project. Today she was home sick, and it kept us occupied while her brother napped.  We used a pencil to make holes in the soil and then dropped the seeds into them.

We put the seeds in a little cup so she could pick them easily.

We did not cover up the holes until we were done with the whole tray, so we knew which squares we had done already. Label them, water them, and wait! My daughter loves to check on their progress daily even though it will take a few weeks for any sprouts. It's a great way to get them involved and show them how the whole process works.  When the plants are big enough, and it's warm enough, we will transfer these to our outdoor garden.

It's also a great time to start a herb garden. I like to keep some basic herbs on my back porch in the Summer and use them whenever I can when cooking.