Do you know about this? Does everyone know about this? My husband and I received a Starbuck’s gift card for Christmas (thank you Lindsey and Drew!) – I saw something printed on the card that mentioned registering the card… hmmm. Curious I checked it out… Turns out if you register it, each time you use it you get a point (also known as a star), after so many points (5?) you get FREE REFILLS on coffee or tea (hot or iced, nice to know in the summer!) a free birthday beverage, a free beverage with a whole bean purchase AND some trial offers!… but when you jump to the GOLD level (30 stars) you get all of those benefits PLUS a free beverage with every 15 stars (transactions), coupons for free stuff and they send you a gold card… all for using (and reloading) your gift card! If you’re a regular visitor to Starbuck’s it might save you a buck or two! Check it out, information is on their website… hmmm… a cup of joe sounds good right now! Until tomorrow…
You know how it is when you’re chilly… the house feels chilly… it’s hibernating time and you want something sweet, but semi-healthy (ha ha)… well I’ve got the recipe for you! APPLE CRISP! I used almost a full 3# bag of granny smith apples AND there is oatmeal involved… therefore… HEALTHY’ish… Enjoy, it’s best topped with a little vanilla ice cream! Remember it’s a recipe, which is simply a guide, use more of what you like and less of what you don’t… the apples however are essential!
This recipe does more than make your house smell divine… it helps heat it up, and when you eat it… ahhhhh, finally warm! It’s better than vacuuming to get warm, hee hee…
APPLE CRISP (recipe adapted from Novia Scotia Apple Crisp that appeared in the Post & Courier newspaper years ago!)
Apple portion:
1- 3# bag of granny smith apples – PEELED AND SLICED
cinnamon, nutmeg and a little sugar – if you use sweet apples you may not need sugar!
Topping:
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup rolled oats (use the regular oats, not the 1-minute kind)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter (or whatever you have that resembles it)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel and slice apples. Arrange apples in a buttered baking dish (lasagna size pan or large casserole if you don’t have lasagna pan). Although I used 11×17 and it worked fine!
Sprinkle apples with cinnamon (I use quite a bit, use how much you like) and just a light sprinkle of nutmeg (it’s stronger). Then sprinkle a tablespoon or two of sugar over top of the apples.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar together. Cut in the butter (can use two knives and cut it up in small pieces while mixing in with flour, etc.), until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs (it was cold when i made it last so they were bigger hunks, it’s OK).
Spread this mixture over the apples.
Bake at 375 F until apples are tender (poke with fork) and topping is lightly browned (35-40 minutes).
SPLURGE… It’s the weekend! I think the wackiest advice anyone could receive would be to eat diet food… Go on a diet… Boo… No fun! I DO think moderation is key. We all need to move more and eat less. When you use that philosophy you have the option to splurge on occasion… Just eat a little less at other times… Maybe I’m just trying to justify eating my Bruegger’s bagel right now, hee hee… Hope you enjoy your splurge today! Until tomorrow…
2015 update: This October my husband and I were at Panera, it was a cool day, perfect for soup, so I thought I would give it another try, I think they’ve been through many variations since I last posted… it was good! It was nothing like what is pictured above. It was delicious!!
I mentioned to you on an earlier post about Panera changing their chicken noodle soup recipe… ugh, disappointing. I’m all for change, but only for the better. Let me know what you think! Do you like the new soup? If so I will be quiet, hee hee. Actually, I don’t want to appear crazed, so this is the last Panera Post, but wanted to get the word out!
If you are disappointed that the “good” chicken noodle soup (that was also low fat and only 80 calories) is now gone, please contact Panera at: contactus@panerabread.com
My letter to Panera… (and their response below)…
I am a fan of your chicken noodle soup with the noodles that taste so homemade! Today I ordered my usual chicken noodle soup and received a cup as well as a small serving in a to-go container. I opened it up and tasted it because it looked different. IT WAS AWFUL. It had a horrible aftertaste. PLEASE tell me that you aren’t changing the recipe to what I had sampled today… I know I won’t be the only one who isn’t pleased… I had my husband taste it and he said it tasted like a cheap version of Campbell’s. Truly, it wasn’t even that good. Sincerely, a big fan of your chicken noodle with the homemade noodles!
THE RESPONSE
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for taking the time to contact Panera Bread.
We are always trying to improve our menu and to keep it fresh and inviting. Our new All-Natural Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup is a more contemporary and wholesome recipe. It’s an all-natural soup made with chunks of all-white chicken, firm fresh vegetables and traditional egg noodles in a light and flavorful broth.
Although we are disappointed to hear that you do not enjoy this new addition to our menu, we certainly appreciate the feedback. I will be sure to note your comments for review by our Product Development Department.
Again, thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.
We all want to be remembered for something when we’re gone… I would like to be remembered as a great artist. Wait. I need to paint A LOT more before that can happen. OK… I would like to think that people will remember me for being a nice person, caring about others and that I was always willing to help. (People don’t always ask for help, so keep an eye out for a neighbor that looks like they may need assistance. It never hurts to ask. Sometimes people get frustrated because they want to do it themselves, but you never know, so just ask)! However, it wouldn’t be so bad to be remembered as a great cook, hee hee… I’m including a recipe that will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! This is my version of Ina Garten’s (Barefoot Contessa) Mexican Chicken soup. I’ve added a few things and slightly altered it. A recipe is merely a guide, add more of what you like and less of what you don’t (unless you’re baking, then it’s more of an exact science)… Enjoy! Until tomorrow…
Mexican Chicken Soup (adapted from Ina Garten)
2-4 chicken breasts (with bone and skin, more or less depending on how much chicken you like, I use 2-3 large)
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 medium onions
2-3 stalks celery
1 bunch carrots with greens (cut off greens)
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics if not homemade)
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced, no seeds (unless you like HOT)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I put foil down on a baking sheet to make clean up easy. Place chicken on baking sheet skin side up. Drizzle with olive oil, rub it in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 35-50 minutes or until done. Once cooled, pull off the skin and shred the meat. Set aside.
Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in large pot or dutch oven. Add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes or until onions just begin to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock (start with 2 qts, then when it cooks down some, add more stock). Add tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin, black beans, salt and pepper. Cut the tortillas in half and then cut then into 1/2 inch strips, add to the soup. They will dissolve in the soup giving it a wonderful taste and aroma!. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer at least 25 minutes. About 20-25 minutes before you are going to serve this soup add the frozen corn. About 5 – 10 minutes later add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the hot soup with grated cheddar, a dallop of sour cream and a handful of crushed tortilla chips. This makes a big pot of soup and is great frozen and reheated!
The WordPress topic of the day is to tell a story about your most memorable job interview… hmmm… here goes. Long long ago, when I was young and still lived in Michigan, I applied at UPS to work as a seasonal employee. I remember having to drive to Timbucktoo to get a background check and be finger printed. At least they paid for it! The actual interview I can barely remember, they asked questions, I answered and they must have liked my answers because I was hired. The only way to get a permanent job with UPS was to start as a seasonal employee working during the busy holiday time. I WANTED TO WORK FOR UPS. I wanted to work in the office and wear the brown uniform. Did you know they wash their trucks EVERY SINGLE DAY? I was thrilled to be working even though it was in an open warehouse where people were lined up with packages as far as the eye could see. There were heaters, it wasn’t WARM but I wasn’t going to freeze to death either. One day it was like winning the lottery… I saw Ryba’s Fudge boxes on a cart, hundreds and hundreds of boxes of the most delictable fudge you can even imagine. As luck would have it they came to my line. If you aren’t familiar with Ryba’s Fudge, it’s a wonderful shop on Mackinac Island, Michigan. There are no cars on this island, only horses, bikes and people walking. It’s a magical place (more in a future post!), and when you’re there, you smell two things… horse poop and fudge. It’s heaven, ha ha… Pretty clever how I kind of changed this post to be about fudge rather then a job interview, eh? Ok, I have to thank Fred, my husband for that one… THANKS FRED! If you don’t get a chance to visit Mackinac Island, you can order the fudge online (www.ryba.com) and UPS (well, used to be, not sure now) will gladly bring it to your door! The next year UPS called me again and asked if I would like to work the holidays again! YES, I replied! Then I had to ask… “Is it ok if I work with a broken leg? It doesn’t bother me at all and I can keep up”… NO, it would make me a liability. Ugh, the end of a dream… ha ha. On a brighter note… Did I tell you that Ryba’s left me a BAG OF FUDGE for going through my line because they had so many boxes? WOOHOO… Like I said, I was in heaven!
I’m thinking about taking the weekend off… so if you don’t hear from me tomorrow, see you Monday!! If you get a chance, check out our other blog… http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – Have a great weekend!
Are you stressed? That’s the WordPress topic of the day… Have you gotten your credit card bill in the mail after the holidays (eek) or is work catching up with you after being out for a while? Well whether you’re stressed or not, here’s something to soothe and relax you… Aveda Comforting Tea. It tastes sweet, I remember the first time I was at an Aveda store and was offered a sample cup of tea, oh my gosh, it was delicious! Wow, I’ve GOT TO get some of that! So I asked her how much tea and how much sugar, because it was just right, not too sweet, not bitter at all, just, well… heavenly!? NO SUGAR! What?? It’s naturally sweet with licorice root and peppermint. Now, I’m not a licorice fan, and had I known there was licorice root in the tea I may not have tried it, but you don’t taste licorice, the organic blend is simply amazing! You can drink it hot or cold. I’ve only had it hot. The bottle is loose tea, it also comes in tea bags (for a pretty hefty price). If you’re near an Aveda store pop in, they always have hot samples of Comforting Tea ready to hand out. I think you may get hooked! Until tomorrow!
Say bye bye to Panera’s original chicken noodle soup…
It’s a rainy day… I’ve had a cold… what’s better than some chicken noodle soup to make you feel better? Last week my husband and I were at Panera. I always order a cup of chicken noodle soup with a whole wheat baguette. We place our order and when it comes to the table there is this suspicious small carry out container… ooooh a surprise, how nice! Open it up… hmmm, more chicken noodle soup, no wait, just broth, weird. Hmmm, maybe they thought mine was too thick so they gave me extra broth to add? I took a bite of the original… oh la la, too good, those nice homemade noodles that melt in your mouth, the bite size carrots, the perfectly sized, not too big, not too small pieces of clean white chicken… heaven! Then I checked into the small container… EYEEEEWWW, what? It’s different… 99% broth, three 1″ “noodles” (if you can call them that), 1 sliver of celery and one piece of carrot the size of a pencil eraser and the most awful broth I have ever tasted in my life. Cheap. It. Tasted. CHEAP. Now keep in mind, this is my opinion (and I am sticking with it!). I had a sinking feeling this was because Panera was going to save some money and pawn this soup off as, well, soup instead of bad broth, and I was right. It was a corporate decision. The employees are not happy about it, they agree that it tastes awful. I feel for them, they’re going to hear everyone and their brother’s mother complain about it. It’s still available until 1/12/11 and then it’s gone for good. Who else has good chicken noodle soup that you know of? LET ME KNOW, this is serious! I’ve downed a good bit of it this week (or so it feels) and I’m starting to feel better now!
The WordPress topic of the day is DO YOU PREFER TO TALK or TEXT? I prefer different types of communication depending upon the circumstance. I would like to say that I don’t think ANYONE should text and drive, yet if I’m out and about I see it more than I can believe. I can’t imagine what families go through losing someone because someone driving couldn’t wait until they got where they were going before responding to ‘wassup?’. omg. No one in the world is so important to put anyones life in jeopardy over a phone call, text message, email or anything else. Ok, I’ll jump off my soap box now, those are just my feelings. I prefer to talk to people if I know that I’m not interrupting anything and that they are available. I prefer to text if I’m in a location where talking is difficult (on the runway) but you need to get a message (we landed, please come get us!) to someone without disrupting those around you, and I prefer to email when there are details that need to be passed along so that a) the story doesn’t get out of whack, b) there are lots of details for someone to write down (a recipe) or I want documentation that I did have contact with a certain person. How do you prefer to communicate? Until tomorrow…
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