by Sarah | Jul 19, 2016 | All About Home, All of Us, Blogging Life, Giveaway, Random, Redefining Perfect, Sponsored
*This post is sponsored by Phoenix Trading Company. I was given an air fryer in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.*
In the world of home appliances, I have both too many, and too few. Recently I got a new kitchen appliance that has brought about some good.
See, we have had a bit of a problem in our marriage since day 1.
I LOVE fried food.
Erik hates it.
So some of my favorite meals, he only picks at. He doesn’t like the grease, slime, general heaviness of fried anything.
When I was approached to try out this Air Fryer, I jumped at the chance.
What better compromise could this nearly-14 years married couple make than air frying?
No greasy food, just pure taste. At least, that was the hope. Hubs wasn’t so sure once he heard about it, and saw the thing. But, I persisted.
I made the one meal I love to make often, and hubs has always liked the taste of, but not the frying.
Breaded lemon chicken (just call me Debra Barone).
I did everything the same as I always did, but instead of fighting dropping it in a pan, I set it in a basket, spritzed it with some olive oil spray and slid it into the cooker. Ten minutes later, they were done.
Bonus points I didn’t even think of?
- I didn’t have to worry about the chicken being cooked through in the middle. Normally in oil I either get the breading burned, and the inside isn’t cooked…or vice versa. In the air fryer every single piece was perfection, from the thickest to the thinnest.
- Oil burns be gone! See, I have a bad habit of getting burned by everything I cook in oil or in its own grease (hello bacon, my delicious nemesis). Holy cow is it nice to be able to not worry about that. My hands, arms, and even my face are free from grease splatter.
- If I was just cooking for one or two of us, I could have slipped our whole meal in one basket as their cooking time was the same. However, there were four of us, so I had to spread it out. Still, for a quick lunch, I’m all over this.
- It’s a smaller kitchen appliance that can either sit on your counter, or slip into a cabinet should you have a tiny kitchen with no counter space like me. 😉
- Did I mention the no oil thing? A little spritz of olive oil instead of sitting in pools of oil will help keep me out of that plus size clothing 😉
- My husband eats the food. Scarfed it down, actually.
So we had a delicious meal. Perfectly cooked chicken, potatoes and cauliflower. A meal that everyone ate up, and turned out to be easy as pie.
Oooh, pie. That’s something I should make next. Little mini pies in no time flat.
You in with me? I can help you with that super easy.
Because I’m sharing a giveaway for a Todd English 1500W 3.3 qt Touchscreen Air Fryer w/ Filter & Accessories !!!
Seriously, you want in. Soon as I get that pie recipe done, I’ll share it with you. I’m on it tonight.
About Phoenix Trading Company (PTC):
First, we’re not in Phoenix, Arizona. Never have been (we’re in Boston). Our name refers to the
mythical bird, the Phoenix, which is reborn to soar again. Our clothes and other products are
sort of like that. We buy large volumes of out-of-season, overstock and clearance designer
merchandise from national retailers and TV shopping channels, then pass the savings to
you—on average offering our goods at 60% below retail. And by the way, the pictures of shoes
and clothing you see on our site are the actual items that you’ll get in the mail. Nothing photo-
shopped here.
People seem to like us. We started in 2001 in 700 square feet subleased from a machine shop,
and have grown to be one of eBay’s top three women’s clothing sellers. We’re also an eBay top-
rated plus seller. Not that we’re bragging. It’s just true.
There is something we’re kind of proud of, though: A third of our workforce are people who are
housebound, either through physical disabilities or childcare responsibilities, and who would
otherwise not be able to have a job. And honestly, we couldn’t function without them.
So, that’s us in a nutshell. Phoenix Trading Company, bringing you style and savings at the click
of a mouse.
Social Media Links:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixTradingCompany
Tumblr – http://phoenixtradingcompany.tumblr.com/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/phoenixtrading/
by Sarah | Jul 18, 2016 | 45 before 45, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Today I turned 40 years old.
I didn’t fear this day.
I still am not upset. I don’t feel like I’ve crested a hill, or that anything is going downhill.
This weekend I ghost hunted.
Went to an exotic animal sanctuary.
Spent time alone with my husband.
I am not where I plan to be in the future, but I am good where I am.
I am about to have one of my birds fly the coop, and the other two are out of elementary school with eyes on the future. I have a husband to whom I’ve been happily married for nearly 14 years. I have a dog, and a fish, and I’m able to work the job of my dreams (writing) when I can.
I am working on my 45X45 list, and have knocked out a few of those dreams this year. Now that I’m 40, I may take another gander at it to see what I may wish to change.
Either way, I am 40. I am embracing it without fear or upset.
Because 40 is awesome. 40 is when I feel like I’m coming into my own.
Hello 40.
by Sarah | Jun 20, 2016 | All About Molly, All of Us, Autism, Connective Tissue Disorder, Redefining Perfect, Special Needs
We waited a month for this visit.
In the grand scheme of “waiting for a specialist” times that has ever been for us – a month isn’t bad.
Still. We waited a month. Worried over her shoulder, and what the doctor would say. Our geneticists suggestion of “Connective tissue disorder” ringing in our ears.
We worried.
Hoped for the best, expected the worst.
Wondered over whether there’d be an MRI. Or possible surgery.
Of all our fears we never once expected it to become what it was.
We never expected to be left wondering how a visit to a specialist would turn into a horrible vaudeville joke.
“It clicks when she does this.”
“Well, then don’t do that.”
~blink blink~
You would think I was exaggerating.
But I’m not.
None of our concerns were truly addressed.
We were dismissed with a prescription for therapy for “Scapular strengthening”. Told that she shouldn’t click her shoulder. And that was that.
No words about the connective tissue question.
He barely touched her shoulder, only tested her strength.
The geneticist spent more time on her shoulder than this doctor. He didn’t check to see if her arm dislocated like the referring doctor did.
An X-Ray.
A bad vaudeville joke (and he wasn’t even kidding).
And no answers.
Still.
I don’t even know where to go from here.
by Sarah | Jun 17, 2016 | All About Me, All of Us, I'm A Reader, Personal, Random, Redefining Perfect
It’s been a rough year, so I take every moment of joy and kindness with a little extra heart these days.
A few weeks ago an innocent conversation at work turned into one of my favorite stories ever.
An older gentleman came to my window to transact his bank business. We made the common small talk, but then he took notice of my necklace. It’s nothing elaborate, just a moon-wrapped pentacle pendant–that I wear simultaneously with a Mickey Mouse pendant.
He paused in our conversation and said, “Your necklace reminds me of a book series I just read. It was very good, I enjoyed it a lot. Now what was it?”
As he pondered, I finished his transaction.
Then he had his epiphany. “Oh, yes! The Hunger Games! Have you read it? It’s really good.”
Call me sexist and ageist, but I was surprised when he announced he’d just read a YA series…but I brushed off my non-PC moment and smiled. I nodded and replied. “Oh yes, I have heard of it, many of my friends have read it, but I haven’t read them myself yet.”
“Oh, you should! I tell you what–I’ll bring in my copies, and you read them.” At my initial protest he held up his hand. “No, really. The only thing I ask is that once you’ve read them, you pass them on to someone else to read. Books are meant to be shared.”
He left and I thought little about it again…until I got to work the next week, and the whole series was awaiting me in my station.
So now, I’ve moved these to the top of my list…because such a gesture must be met with enthusiasm.
And thus, I am now (finally?) reading The Hunger Games.
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2016 | 45 before 45, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Bucket List, Random, Redefining Perfect
I turn 40 in about a month.
I’ve been blessed in the past couple of years to be able to unintentionally fulfill a few items on my 45 X 45 list, and have my sites on a few more in the next couple of years.
However, this past fall-into-winter, I stumbled into a role in the local community theater.
One of my customers at the bank was the producer and urged me to audition.
It was A Charlie Brown Christmas, so of course I did.
Say hello to Violet Grey.
Also in the cast was Shermy (my hubby, Erik), and a couple of Woodstocks (Kennedy & Molly)…and backstage you could find Denver helping out.
For two months we rehearsed.
Sang.
Roller skated!!!
I had forgotten how much I loved doing theater.
Plenty of excuses not to.
This turned into a family affair and was the perfect way to dip my toe back into the theater pool.
More auditions are planned (this month! Eek!).
Though my available time has waned in recent months, that theater bug has re-seated itself into my blood.
This was about more than knocking another item off of my bucket list.
It was like coming home.
I won’t go all crazy 4-shows-a-year-so-I’m-never-home again.
But I won’t go too far away from home again.
This time, though, it’ll be just me.
by Sarah | Jun 10, 2016 | All About Denver, All of Us, Redefining Perfect, The Teenager
It’s done.
The caps have been tossed. The gowns returned.
Twelve years of school.
A diploma in hand.
He has gone from “the boy” to “the tween” to “the teen” to the “oh god, aren’t we done yet?”…and back to “the teen”…and now we move on to “The Adult.”
He has big plans.
He hopes to be in Florida by October.
Working for Disney by 2017.
Growing up and moving on.
But he will always have a place right here.
In the heart of our family.
And he will always be my little boy.
(I am tempted, but will not show the baby picture of him in this post…soon, I’m sure. Very soon).
When I was approached to try out this Air Fryer, I jumped at the chance.
I did everything the same as I always did, but instead of fighting dropping it in a pan, I set it in a basket, spritzed it with some olive oil spray and slid it into the cooker. Ten minutes later, they were done.
So we had a delicious meal. Perfectly cooked chicken, potatoes and cauliflower. A meal that everyone ate up, and turned out to be easy as pie.
