by ThallenBLiving on November 29, 2011
Last week, Hubby offered to help out in the kitchen with dinner. Of course that meant we pulled out his favorite kitchen appliance – the George Forman Grill! We made Chicken & Spinach Quesdillas and boy were they delicious (and pretty healthy too!). Here’s what we used:
- Organic Chicken Breast
- Taco Seasoning
- Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Fresh Spinach
- Mozzerella Cheese
- Light Sour Cream
- Salsa
- Jalapeno Peppers
- George Foreman Grill
Here’s what to do:
- Season the chicken breast with taco seasoning and bake in the oven until done.
- Slice the chicken and place on a tortilla.
- Add spinach and mozzerella cheese.
- Cover with second tortilla, then place on George Forman Grill.
- All done when cheese appears melted and tortilla is brown!
- Cut into triangles, garnish with sour cream, salsa and jalapeno peppers.
by ThallenBLiving on November 28, 2011
I promised I’d update you on how well the Shellac is holding up. So here’s the scoop…
On Day 2 or 3, my thumb nail chipped and the Shellac has now peeled away from the edge. Other than that I haven’t had any major peeling or chipping. 
I have noticed that the polish is now beginning to lose some of its shine, but compared to regular nail polish it still looks good. I’m trying to hang in there until Friday, which will be Day 14. However, my nails are growing pretty fast and I don’t like to see the white space between the polish and my cuticles.
My co-worker told me that Shellac can be removed easily at home with acetone nail polish remover, meaning no need to have it professionally removed… We’ll see!
Have you tried Shellac yet? Do you think you will?
by ThallenBLiving on November 27, 2011
‘Tis the season… Surely by now you realize how happy the holidays make me! I’m so excited to plan the gifts my husband and I will give to others this year. It’s important to get organized about gift-giving so that you don’t overlook anyone. Plus, by starting early you have a whole month to add someone who slipped your mind!
I like to start with a list of all the family and friends I’d like to get something for. Then, I group them into categories based on the type of gift I plan to purchase for them. This helps because you can often purchase similar gifts at the same time which saves time and money. Plus it’s a much more gratifying accomplishment to cross off a whole section than just one person at a time.
I also like to buy staple gifts like candles and candies to stuff stockings and give as favors for holiday parties. A good hostess always has a spare gift on hand!
What’s the best gift you ever received during the holidays?
by ThallenBLiving on November 24, 2011
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick
For the past few weeks I have been thinking about writing an etiquette post on the polite way to receive a gift that you don’t really like (especially considering that the holidays are getting close). But today, I began to think about this in a grander scheme. How easy is it to go through life being unappreciative for all the blessings we have been given? Even worse than feeling ungrateful, is to show ungratefulness… Consider how frequently we complain about work, school and family obligations (among numerous other things), when actually having a job, being in school, and having loving family members is not an opportunity that everyone has been blessed with. I challenge each of us (myself included) to be a little more thankful this holiday season… even for the things that annoy us!
What are you thankful for?
by ThallenBLiving on November 23, 2011
It’s Thanksgiving and I’m pooped! Last week, Hubby and I moved apartments and I’ve spent the past few days getting things in order. Not to mention working full-time and otherwise coordinating life! Even with the best of intentions, when Thanksgiving rolled around I had nothing left to give… no stuffing, no homemade cranberry sauce, no endless sea of desserts. But as they say, necessity is the mother of invention! So in the absence of our traditional Thanksgiving feast, I had this bright idea– a Thanksgiving Salad! Perhaps you can create one with the leftovers from your meal…
Thallen B.’s Thanksgiving Salad Ingredients:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Sliced Turkey Breast (to represent the Turkey)
- Croutons (to represent dressing/stuffing)
- Dried Cranberries (to represent cranberry sauce)
- Green Beans (to represent green bean casserole)
- Mozzerella Cheese (to represent macaroni & cheese)
- Pecan pieces (to represent pecan pie!)
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Bon Appétit and Happy Thanksgiving!
by ThallenBLiving on November 22, 2011
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been on the Weight Watchers program since the summer. So far I’ve lost 20 pounds, and feel great (cue the Jennifer Hudson song!). Weight Watchers is great because you can eat whatever you want, so long as its in moderation. I love to snack, so I had to find healthy snacks to go along with the endless amounts of fruits and vegetables that I’m allowed. The Skinny Cow product line is amazing! They make ice cream and candy bars that are the perfect sweet treat to satisfy my cravings. The best part is that they are low-calorie and low in Weight Watchers points! My personal favorites are the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches (all flavors!), the Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisps and the Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters. Oh wait! That’s pretty much everything they make!
Have you tried Skinny Cow? Do you love it too?
by ThallenBLiving on November 21, 2011
Last week I told you about my trip to the 9/11 Memorial. There was one part of my visit that deserved its very own post. In the middle of the memorial park there is a tree, surrounded by a metal gate, and supported by rubber cords. 
We asked one of the staff members what was so special about this tree. He told us that this tree had been pulled from the Ground Zero rubble. The tree was then replanted in a park. While in the park, the tree was struck by lightning and totally uprooted! Amazingly, the tree has survived and is now planted back at Ground Zero! What a testament to strength, tenacity and survival… I hope you all are as inspired by this little tree as I am!
What inspires you to keep going when you feel like giving up?
by ThallenBLiving on November 20, 2011
After much contemplation I decided to try the Shellac frenzy that’s taking over the manicure world! Shellac is a new type of nail polish that boasts the following advantages over regular nail polish: 1) It lasts up to two weeks, when you’d be lucky if regular polish lasts one and 2) Shellac is dry the moment you’re done, no waiting around.
I went to Polished Fingertips to get Shellac put on my fingernails. I don’t really see the point in a Shellac pedicure because the polish on my toes hardly ever chips. In total, the process took about half an hour because you have to put each hand under a UV light after each coat is applied. I had a base coat, about three coats of color and then a top coat. As soon as the manicurist was done, she wiped then off with a paper towel and water/alcohol and I was done! I was able to immediately put my hand in my wallet to pull out my credit card!
So far, I’m pretty impressed with Shellac, but I will reserve final opinion until I go through the removal process. Also I want to see if it REALLY lasts two weeks. I’m still on the fence about the price too. I paid $40… So even if it lasts two weeks, a $20/week manicure is still a bit expensive. Now if I can stretch it for longer than two weeks, I’ll be more inclined to do it again.
Have you tried Shellac? What do you think about it?
by ThallenBLiving on November 17, 2011
“Have you ever spatchcocked a turkey?!” That’s the question I asked my confused friend, Janille, the other day. Her obvious reply was “No!” as I’m sure yours is too. However, I’m looking to change that… together Martha Stewart and I will make spatchcocking the newest holiday trend!
I came across the link to Martha Stewart’s post on the blog Pattern & Palette. One of the blog’s writers worked for Martha Stewart Living for 5 years (talk about a dream job!). I had never heard of this practice before, so I decided to go straight to the source – MarthaStewart.com. Here, Martha gives a step-by-step of how to remove the backbone from your holiday turkey so that it will lie flat on the cooking pan. By roasting your turkey in this position, the meat will be more tender and juicy so carving the bird will be a breeze!
Check out the link to see how it’s done!
*To avoid confusion, the turkey pictured above has not been spatchcocked 
by ThallenBLiving on November 14, 2011
Sunday after church, my friend, Janille, invited me to visit the 9/11 Memorial with her family. I’ve lived in the Financial District of Manhattan (only a few short blocks from Ground Zero) for over two years, and I am so thankful to see the area restored into two new towers, a park and memorial to those who perished on that fateful day.
There are two identical memorials– the North Memorial and the South Memorial each standing where one of the Twin Towers once stood. They are beautiful reflecting pools with waterfalls on all four sides. The waterfalls are the largest manmade waterfalls in North America, and the sound of rushing water is so peaceful.
According to the 9/11 Memorial website, the names of every person who died in the 1993 bombing and 2001 attack are inscribed into the bronze panels edging the Memorial pools, a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history.
I encourage everyone to visit the memorial. The passes are free and can be reserved on the 9/11 Memorial website. Thanks, Janille, for letting me tag along
