Did you know???

Pantyhose are like a deodorant eraser? Use them to rub any excess off of your clothes!

2012 Clothing & Beauty Trends!

The 50's are back? I love these trends! Definitely the mint green, maybe on my nails and the red lipstick, I'm going to opt for a more orangy coral version!

Mint green

Ankle strap heels


Color blocking

Boxy handbags

Bold colors

Asymmetrical hemlines

Red lipstick

Dinner tonight

Grilled chicken pizza "burger"

-your fav hamburger bun or ciabatta roll
-chicken breast grilled with italian herbs
-pizza sauce
-light mozzarella cheese

I'm going to top with sauteed mushrooms & basil leaves

Serve with a side salad!

Made this for Mom and Dad

Birthday present for Gram Gram & Papa

What you will need...This can be a bit pricey the first time only because spices are not cheap! Once you have everything though, you will have plenty of leftover spices for other batches!

-2 lbs lean ground beef
-4 beef boullion cubes
-4 cups water
-1/4 to 1/3 cup chili powder (to taste)
-1 tablespoon garlic powder (I tried this once with fresh garlic and it wasn't as good)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (depending on how spicy you like it. 1 teaspoon will make a milder chili, but it will still have a bit of kick)
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 square unsweetened baker's chocolate (yes, chocolate in chili...delicious)
-3 tablespoons white vinegar
-4 cans of beans, rinsed and drained ( I like to use 2 cans of dark red kidney beans, one can of black beans, and one can of white beans)
-1 15 oz. can tomato sauce (just use plain old tomato sauce from a can. Do not use prepared spaghetti sauce as it will affect the ratios of spices and flavors)
-1 large brown/yellow onion (I have seen these called both brown or yellow, just don't use white onion. Red onion is good too, but it gives the chili a different flavor.)
-1-2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for cooking the onion)
-One package Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (not in the picture...oops)
-one package of spaghetti or angel hair (optional, but if you want the authentic Cincinnati chili experience, this is how you do it.)


-First, add the 4 cups of water to the pot along with the four beef boullion cubes.
-Set the stove to medium and begin adding the beef. The best way to do this while maintaining consistency is to grab a small hanfull of beef, pull off small pieces and add them to the water/boullion.
-You don't want this to be boiling on high heat, or else the meat will cook too fast and become rubbery. Instead, let it simmer at a very low boil for at least 30 minutes. If you cover the pot, you will lose less water by evaporation.
-Cooking the meat by boiling as opposed to frying in a pan allows the meat to stay tender and juicy.
Combine all of the spices (Chili powder, Garlic powder, Cumin, Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice, Red pepper) in a small bowl and mix together. This just makes it easier to add to the chili when needed. Also, the spices will be more evenly distributed, allowing them to mix into the sauce better.


-Chop the onion fairly small and add about 1 1/2 to 2 cups to a heated frying pan that has about one or two tablespoons of oil (oops, forgot to list that in the ingredients). Save the rest of the chopped onion to put on top of the chili.
-Let the chopped onion cook until it is clear and just barely starting to brown,
-Add the can of tomato sauce to the cooked onion and mix well.
-Add the combined spices and the bay leaf to the tomato sauce/onion mixture and stir until evenly mixed.
-almost done!

Now put it all together

-At this point, pour the tomato sauce/onion/spices mixture into the pot with the beef stock (which has been simmering for at least 30 minutes) and mix it all together. Try to get as much out of the pan as possible. I add a little bit of hot water to the pan and stir up anything that is left in there to make sure I get all of the spice/sauce mixture out.
-After combinig the sauce and the stock, add the three tablespoons of White Vinegar and the 1/2 square of Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate to the mix.
-Add the drained and rinsed beans to the pot, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to cook together. This will be difficult, because you will want to eat it right away! It will still be really good if you eat it at this point, but if you wait it will be even better!
-This chili is not going to have a thick sacue like most traditional southwest chili, but if you let it cook longer it will thicken up a bit.


After simmering for a while, serve the chili over pasta with a big pile of shredded cheddar cheese and some chopped raw onion. Traditionally it is also served with sour cream, but I choose not to do it that way. Obviously, you can just put it into a bowl by itself and forgo the pasta which is also delicious. Chili dogs are also amazing with Cincinnati chili. However you eat it, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and share it with your family and friends!

Are you tired of the cold this winter? It’s time to warm-up with our Annual Winter Warm-Up Sale! Want to know the coolest part? You can start your vacation with up to $150 per stateroom in your pocket…well, on your Sail & Sign® Card but you get the idea!

Book between January 26 & January 28, 2012 and we’ll load up your card with up to $50per stateroom for 3 and 4 day cruises, up to $100 per stateroom for 5, 6 and 7 day cruises or up to $150 per stateroom for 8 day or longer cruises. That’s up to $150 cash back to book shore excursions or use anywhere you would like on board.

For more information on these and other specials visit www.finchersadventures.com or like us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/FinchersAdventures

Fellas, forget chocolates or jewelry...do you really want to impress your Valentine?
How about a romantic cruise getaway?

Just $1,295.75 gets you and your sweetheart on the 2/11/12 sailing on the Carnival Elation out of New Orleans. Dine on lobster and other gourmet meals, attend 5 star shows and bask in the HOT Caribbean sun!

Call 877-834-2805 for info on this vacation! A Valentine gift will be waiting in the cabin of the first 5 lucky guys to book!

Carnival Elation
5-Night West Caribbean
New Orleans R/T



.

A few tips for first time cruisers...

Well, I just sailed on Carnival so some of this info may not apply elsewhere.

Here goes:

~If one of your plans is to lay out by the pool or anywhere on deck, wake up around 8am and save some chairs. (I witnessed an all out verbal brawl over chairs;)

~Take a power strip for the room

~Pack light, don't forget your formal wear

~If one of your stops is Progresso, either schedule an excursion there or stay on the ship (unless you are looking to buy a lot of Mexican souvenirs) this port is pretty dumpy (picture tijuana) we had a meal I like to refer to as the Tacos del Gatos ;) as we don't know what the meat was LOL. It didn't feel dangerous to us though.

~There are ironing and laundry stations on the ship

~Bring your own blow dryer as you have to hold the button down on the small one they offer

~Book excursions and specialty dining on the cruiseline website early!

~The boarding process is crazy but well worth the wait when you get on

~Pose for a lot of photos so you will have good options to choose from should you decide to purchase a few. (on that note, don't wait to go get your photos til the last day like we did ;)

4 words Warm Chocolate Melting Cake!!!

Eat Eat Eat ;)

More to come y'all

Current fav healthy lunch!

1 serving special K herb crackers
1 small can tuna (in water)
couple tsp light mayo (eyeball it, your preference)
dijon or yellow mustard to taste if you like
minced purple onion
finely shredded lettuce (I prefer leafy as opposed to iceburg)
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
8 dashes tapatio hot sauce

scoop on to crackers...yum!!

Dr. Oz's alternative to diet soda.
The juice of an orange or other favorite fruit with seltzer water. Agave nectar to sweeten if needed!

Serves 6

Make sure to add the salt to these lentils only after they're cooked. If added before, it will take longer for them to get tender.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked red lentils, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 cups cooked brown Basmati rice


Method

Put lentils, turmeric and 4 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are very soft and pulpy, about 25 minutes. Add salt to lentils after cooking, then purée in blender and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until golden brown, taking care not to burn them. Add onion mixture to lentils and stir well. Serve hot, with basmati rice on the side.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 340 calories (50 from fat), 5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 17g protein, 57g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 220mg sodium