Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week and are having a ghoulish Halloween!

If you are on Pinterest or Facebook, today’s Show and Tell is for you! I have some info on Facebook and Pinterest settings that could make your news feeds include more of what you want to see.

Pinterest: Recently Pinterest changed the way you see the pins on your home page. Previously your Pinterest home page was chronological, so you would simply see the most recent pins from all of the boards that you follow. Pinterest recently adjusted this so your pin news feed is based on web cookies and your browser history. Essentially Pinterest’s smart algorithms are now curating your feed, pushing pins to the top that they think you will be most interested in as well as featuring sponsored pins more heavily. If you’re fine with this, then you’re all set! But if you’d like to get your feed back to the way it was before, you can do so. Here’s how!

1. Go to your profile page on Pinterest.
2. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and then select “Account Settings.”
3. Under the first section “Account Basics” you will see a small section called “Personalization.” Switch both buttons in that section to “No.” Your feed should revert to the original stream.

Seeing Content from Facebook Pages You Like: Did you know that just because you “Like” a page on Facebook doesn’t mean content from that page will actually show up in your feed? In fact, it most likely will not. As I talk with friends I’m learning that Facebook users who do not manage pages have no idea this is the case. (People who do manage pages are very well aware – any given item I post on my Facebook page may only be seen by as few as 100 people and rarely tops 3,000, which does not match up to the nearly 18,000 likes I have on my page.) SOOOOO…if you “Like” a page and actually DO want content from that page showing up in your news feed, here’s what you need to do!

1. Visit the page that you like.
2. If you haven’t already, “Like” the page.
3. The little box that says “Liked” has a drop down menu – click on that then select “Get Notifications.” Now that page’s content will appear in your feed.

Hope that’s helpful!

Here’s one fun food link for the week, this time on Cosmo: 15 Red, White, and Blue Snacks and Drinks to Serve on Election Day

As usual, show and tell is for everyone! Please share whatever you like. (Cute Halloween costumes are especially welcome!)

I have a spectacular kitchen tip for you today. One that I should have figured out ages ago. One you probably have already figured out yourself. BUT, in case you haven’t, here we go!

My kids love cinnamon sugar on their wheat toast in the morning. I never have cinnamon sugar on hand because I could never figure out what kind of container to put it in. That means I make the lamest cinnamon sugar toast ever, with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled separately and haphazardly on top of the toast. My kids think it tastes good, but I know their toast could be sooooo much better.

I started thinking maybe I would start ordering cinnamon sugar from Penzey’s so that the cinnamon sugar would have its own container, but that felt a little over the top (even though I know the cinnamon blend they use must taste divine). And then, finally, it dawned on me – I can just use an old cinnamon jar to store my own homemade cinnamon sugar! DUH! A-HA! HOW HAD I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE? This idea is genius because you don’t have to buy something separate to store the cinnamon sugar in, the jar comes with a shaker top, and it fits in the spice cupboard perfectly.

Also, a 2.2 ounce spice bottle is just the right size to mix 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. There’s enough space left in the jar to shake it all together but you have a mostly full jar at the end.

ALSO, if you follow the Pioneer Woman’s technique for making cinnamon toast using an English muffin, you will die and go to heaven. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The AYA Summit for Women and Girls put on by ONE in Washington, D.C. this week has completely taken over my brain. I’m having a hard time thinking about a weekly menu, but here goes!

MONDAY:
– Chili
– Corn chips

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Soup with Rice
– Homemade bread

WEDNESDAY:
– Creamy Pesto Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
– Bread and salad

THURSDAY:
– Take out (last night of soccer practices for the season – woohoo!)

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers (something quick before trick or treating!)

SATURDAY:
– Eat out – last night with my dad in town!

SUNDAY:
– Dinner at friends’ home

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

Okay, folks, show us what you got! Share your menus! And have a great week!

Happy Saturday! I didn’t get a chance to publish this week’s Show and Tell post yesterday because I was at the AYA Summit for Women and Girls put on by ONE in Washington, D.C. It was AMAZING. I can’t even begin to process everything I saw and heard this week, which included meeting one of the girls who was kidnapped from school in Nigeria earlier this year. Needless to say, many tears were shed hearing so many inspiring stories. I will most definitely be sharing some of my week with you soon, but until then check out this news story the local D.C. CBS news did about the conference!

Today I would love to share a beyond-cute book with you that is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. My friend Kami’s new book Washi Tape Christmas came out this week. I received a copy and it is wonderful. I highly recommend it! You can buy it on Amazon, but if you buy it through Kami’s site you can get a signed copy! Even me, the most craft-averse person you will ever meet, is ready to dig out the washi tape and start creating!

Here are a few posts I wrote for Babble this week:

• Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
• 3 Kids, a Mom, & a Kitchen: Ham and Kale Leaf Frittata Cups

As always, please share your own stuff! And have a great weekend!

I recently discovered a quick “recipe” for lemon pepper chicken that I simply have to share with you. The chicken is tender and flavorful and it’s just so easy to make! This chicken is delicious fresh out of the oven served with rice and a veggie, but I also love it served cold over salad. It would be great in sandwiches, too!

I sort of accidentally created this recipe. I thought I was making a recipe for luscious lemon chicken that I received from a friend 15 years ago. I was going from memory and the final result was what you see here in this post. Only, when I looked the original recipe up later, I discovered I left a bunch of ingredients and steps out! So, now I have two awesome lemon chicken recipes. 😉 And, yes, one day I’ll share the luscious lemon chicken recipe with you, too!

Today’s version of the recipe really is SO easy and delicious. My little Anna especially loves it! Be sure you use the stabbing-the-chicken-with-a-fork trick – that is the key to this tender, flavorful chicken!

Lemon Pepper Chicken

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Super easy with delicious results, this chicken has a nice peppery flavor with a hint of lemon.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Lemon Pepper
• Salt (kosher preferred)
• Cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Stab chicken breast(s) all over on both sides with a fork (click here for details on this trick).
3. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt, then sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper on both sides.
4. Place chicken in a baking dish then pour cream over the chicken to coat. Flip chicken breasts in the dish with a fork to coat both sides of the chicken with cream.
5. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until chicken juices run clear and/or internal temperature of chicken reaches 160ºF.
6. Serve hot out of the oven with rice and veggies. Refrigerate leftovers and serve cold on salad or in sandwiches.

3.2.2807

I have a monster of a post for you today (mwah-ha-ha!!!), complete with ideas for completely cute yet simple Halloween party table decor as well as a 13 (mwah-ha-ha!!!) ridiculously adorable Halloween recipes.

When it comes to entertaining, I keep it simple. I like to have a whole bunch of white serving dishes in storage that I can pair with a few accent pieces and a colored tablecloth for the occasion. Then I just throw a few decorations on the table – simple but elegant. A vase of flowers, a Christmas wreath with candles, a few pumpkins for a Halloween party…you know, SIMPLE. There’s enough going on to get ready for parties I just can’t go over the top with my decor. But I find by playing in a simple way with color and using lots of white dishes, the table always looks impressive.

My ruffle dishes from Q Squared NYC are just such pieces that come in handy for all kinds of occasions. The ruffle design is elegant and a little bit different than your standard white dishes. BUT…if you pair it with a black tablecloth and a few of Q Squared’s slate platters, those wavy white dishes suddenly take on a spooky air! Seriously, I can’t tell you how much I loved using these dishes to decorate a Halloween table! Throw a few pumpkins on the table and make Halloween-themed food and you’re all set!

I think Halloween food is the most fun food in all the land. Whenever October rolls around, I am always so impressed with the creative food I see in magazines and on blogs! Here are a few favorites I’ve found this year, including a couple I used for my own Halloween party decor!

My friend Kristen from Dine & Dish shared Frankenguac just this week. Is this not the cutest guacamole ever? Be sure to click through to Kristen’s post for details! (I put my Frankenguac on a slate platter and it was beyond adorable and a great centerpiece for the table.)

My friend Sommer from A Spicy Perspective posted these adorable Halloween skewers, which my kids happily gobbled up! I couldn’t find dark grapes, so I used blackberries instead. I think blackberries (i.e. black pickled brains!!!) might even be spookier. Check out Sommer’s post for more details! (The skewers looked perfect on the ruffle long platter.)

Here are a few more Halloween recipes I am dying to try! (Mwah-ha-ha!!!)

Gingerdead Cookies from Kailley’s Kitchen

Healthy Halloween Monster Mouths from Texan Erin

Butterbeer Popcorn from An Edible Mosaic (because I simply cannot resist anything Harry Potter!)

Jalapeño Popper Mummies from Simply Sated

Mummy Milanos from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Graveyard Chocolate Cheesecake Dip from The Law Student’s Wife

Peanut Butter Cookie Ghost Cups from Food Faith Fitness

Easy Pumpkin Patties from Mom On Timeout

Healthy Halloween Pasta Salad from Smile Sandwich

Carrot Rice Ball Jack O’ Lantern Bites from Apron Strings

Spooky Spider Brownies from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Well, that list should keep you busy until Halloween rolls around next week. Happy Hallowen!

This post was sponsored by Q Squared NYC. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Seriously, those dishes I used are PERFECT for Halloween. Get shopping!

It’s Sunday, which means it’s time to break out the pencil and paper and get planning!

I am going to be traveling to Washington, D.C. this week to attend the 2014 AYA Summit with ONE. The summit will be looking at issues affecting women and girls in developing countries. I majored in International Relations, with a focus in developing countries, and minored in Women’s Studies, so I think it goes without saying that I am SO EXCITED for the summit! My dad is coming to town to help with the kids, so he and Nate will be holding down the fort. When I was in 3rd grade, my dad and I were home alone for a week and he made spaghetti every night. I made sure to add it to the menu in honor of that week! 😉

MONDAY:
– Cream of Mushroom Soup
– Crusty bread and salad

TUESDAY:
– Loaded Nachos
– Guacamole

WEDNESDAY:
– Spaghetti
– Salad and garlic bread

THURSDAY:
– Naan pizzas (these are our new English muffin pizzas, just as easy but yummier!)
– Salad

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Swedish Pancakes
– Smoothies

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

You know the drill – please share your dinner plans for the week!

I have just one quick thing to share with you today! I wrote a post for Babble this week called 9 Crazy Ways Parents Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies and it is pretty darn funny. I polled my friends for stories and got some great stuff. Be sure to click through and check it out! Also, how awesome is Owen’s “I Hate Veggies” face? He’s a natural! (As in, he really, truly hates veggies…little stinker.)

You know the drill…share your own stuff with us! Show and tell time!

One of the first things I learned in the kitchen in my early 20s was that it is really easy to cook tough, hard-to-chew chicken. The first time I baked a chicken recipe I was so disappointed with the outcome. The chicken was not tender and delicious at all and I hated that. I quickly mastered the art of pounding chicken, which always yielded tender, evenly-cooked chicken. I’ve used that technique for years and still love it.

BUT…my mother-in-law Pat shared another trick with me that is equally as magical and beyond easy. She got the tip from a kid in town who worked in a restaurant and it’s great! Just stab the you-know-what out of your uncooked chicken breasts with a fork on both sides. Like, lots and lots of stabbing. Like, you-really-need-to-vent-some-frustration-so-you-take-it-out-on-the-innocent-chicken lots of stabbing. You end up with tender chicken and a little mental therapy to boot!

I like this method because it’s less messy. When you use a mallet, you need to get a cutting board dirty, there’s the yucky plastic wrap to contend with and, of course, the mallet also needs to be cleaned. With this method you just need a fork and you can stab the chicken right in the dish it will cook in. Easy peasy! This technique is also good for marinade…lots of little holes to soak it all up!

Happy stabbing! (Chicken stabbing, people.)

I made an impulse buy at the grocery store this week: a Hutzler Onion Saver.

Here’s the thing. I never know how to store leftover, raw, unchopped onions, which I often have because I tend to only use half an onion at a time. I don’t like to use plastic baggies because of my goal to use less one-time use plastic. But the onion is usually kind of bulky, so I have to use a larger storage container than I really need that takes up space in the fridge. Basically, this is a very difficult problem to have and my life is hard. (Insert sarcastic emoji that doesn’t exist but should.)

Hence, my impulse buy of the onion saver. And, I LOVE it. Granted, I’ve only used it for 2 days and have no idea if it will last forever or whatever, but, so far, so good. It stores my onion well, doesn’t take up tons of space in the fridge, and traps in the onion odor so the fridge doesn’t get stinky.

Happy onion storing!