Laina Turner's Blog, page 80

Tasty Tuesday: The BEST Vegetarian Chili

 

I found this little gem on The Picky Eater blog and have to admit – it really is the BEST vegetarian chili I have ever had. I’ve tried numerous versions of this recipe - but this one takes the grand prize. This recipe makes a super large pot and you’ll definitely have leftovers for days to come.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

1 15oz can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can Black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 heaping tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp (or a bit less) cayenne pepper

A couple splashes of soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp regular paprika

Directions

Chop the garlic, onion and peppers. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot and sauté the peppers, onion and garlic over medium high heat for about five minutes. Meanwhile, wash the beans until all of the canning liquid is gone. Once the veggies have sautéed, add all of the other ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or longer.

Ladle the chili into bowls and top with the toppings of your choice. My favorites: shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and a few dashes of hot sauce!

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Fab 5 Friday

Some fab posts from around the virtual world!

 

 

40 + Style Colorful Dresses for Summer  Love summer dresses!

Hers His, and Ours Throw Away the List Marriage that second time around…am I up for it?

The Dainty Squid Amazing Pictures  Just look at them. She’s got talent.

Back East Blonde Going To The Movies This Summer. Read This. Kids last day of school was yesterday and we are planning the summer!

Venus Trapped In Mars Blogging Tips: 10 That Are Not So Obvious I always need tips!

 

Have an amazing weekend!

 

 

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Getting Things Done (Part 4 of 4): The Endgame

I am not receiving any compensation for this post. This book review is based on my opinion and personal experience.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing the concepts from the book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. The previous 3 parts of this series, Mastering Workflow, From Inbox To Next Action, and Reviewing Your Process have been well received. Here is Part 4: The Endgame. 

To recap…



“We COLLECT things that command our attention; PROCESS what they mean and what to do about them; and ORGANIZE the results, which we REVIEW as options for what we choose to DO,” writes Allen.

 

The workflow diagram below shows how we should process all items that we collect. A piece of paper, an e-mail, a voice mail, a package, etc. Everything that we receive.

Collect, process, and organize all of your inbox items. Afterwards, they should all be in one of the main groupings represented on the outer ring of the diagram above as described in From Inbox To Next Action.

Trash

Someday/Maybe

Projects & Project Plans

Reference

Waiting For

Calendar

Next Actions

Do a daily and/or weekly review as described in Reviewing Your Process for your main groupings and new inbox items.

 

What’s Next?

All the tools we need to get things done have been discussed. But what happens when you get in a rut, get behind, feel overwhelmed?

 

MAKING THE BEST ACTION CHOICES

According to Allen, people make their action choices based on the following criteria, in order:

Context
Time available
Energy available
Priority

Context: What can you possibly do where you are with the tools you have? 

Time available: If you have an appointment in ten minutes, you will more than likely choose an action that is different from one if you had a couple of hours to spare. If that is the case, short action items can be crossed off your list during this “weird little time” window.

Energy available: When I’m in a low energy state, I pull paper and articles from my Read & Review pile which is in my Waiting For bin. Or I do next action steps that I know don’t require a lot of effort. My high energy state is shortly after I wake up or late at night. That’s when I go for the things that I have put off constantly, items that are my least favorite, or items that require a lot of thinking.

Priority: “It is impossible to feel good about your choices unless you are clear about what your work really is,” writes Allen. When you feel like everything is a priority, review your calendar. Ask yourself what has to be done today and what are the consequences of not doing your next action items.

 

When is your high energy state?

How do you prioritize?

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Maya Angelou

We lost an amazing person and her memory will live on for a long, long time.  Today I wanted to share my favorite quotes by her.

What is your favorite?

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Is Yoga Worth the Hype?

Many people think that yoga is a gentle form of exercise, mostly used by women and the elderly. However, you may be surprised to know that many professional athletes and celebrities also use yoga to maintain peak fitness (Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow). There are many different types of yoga, as well as different levels.

I started practicing yoga when I was pregnant with my first child 6 years ago. I did mostly gentle Hatha yoga to make sure it was safe for the baby and with my bulging belly, there were only so many traditional poses I could do! Hatha is great for relaxation, stretching and de-stressing.

Over the years, I have progressed in my ability and now mostly practice Power Vinyasa Yoga. If you are looking to get a good cardio workout, then this is your best option. It’s amazing how much flexibility I’ve gained in 6 years of practice and recently I’ve even started dabbling in more advanced inversion poses (forearm balance, headstand). I never thought I’d get to this level!

My husband has also started practicing yoga with me over the past couple of years and he LOVES it! It’s becoming more and more popular for men to practice and most men would tell you it’s the hardest workout they’ve ever done. My husband thinks he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in. Yoga strengthens and tones your body in a uniform manner, without overdeveloping specific muscles. It will also greatly improve your flexibility and balance.

Other Benefits of Yoga:

- Lubricates the tendons, ligaments and joints

- Massages and stimulates the internal organs of the body

- Flushes out toxins

- Helps to deal with chronic problems like lower back pain and joint pain

- Increases blood flow to the tissues of the body

- Raises the heart rate and helps to burn excess flab

- Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol

The yoga industry has come a LONG way in products they offer. There are some really great accessories out there for yogis. Here are a few of my favorites:

Daisi Yoga Pants

These yoga pants are a great price and look really comfortable, which is very important for a great workout.

Daisi Yoga Pant Women’s Workout – Blue – $26.99, Free shipping – Available at 6pm.com

 

Women’s Dri-Fit Stay Cool Training Tight Fit Capri Yoga Pants

In any power or hot yoga class, you will most definitely be sweating the whole time. These capri pants will help keep you dry during the workout – a great feature to have.

Legend 2.0 Women’s Dri-Fit Stay Cool Training Tight Fit Capri Yoga Pants-XS – $41.99, 3.50 shipping – Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

 

Black Mat PRO Yoga Mat

If you want to splurge on one yoga accessory, please do it on a GOOD MAT! There is a huge difference between a $15 mat at Walmart and a $100 mat that won’t slide and gives you extra padding.

Black Mat PRO Yoga Mat – BM71 MDK001 – $100.00, Free shipping – Available at REI

 

Meditation Mat

Yoga also helps to raise your awareness and acceptance of your body and mind. Once you become a regular yogi, you may also start to practice meditation. I bought one of these mats a few months ago and it really helps you stay focused on your mind during your meditations.

Medium Zabuton Meditation Mat, Olive – $51.95, 11.95 shipping – Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

 

So, in my yogi opinion, yoga is definitely worth the hype! You should remember to treat yoga not merely as a physical workout, but also try to practice and benefit from the psychological and spiritual aspects of it, as well. Combining yoga with meditation has done wonders for both my mind and body in my busy day-to-day life.

Do you practice yoga and what do you find to be the greatest benefit?

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Postpresso.

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The All-Time Rules of Furnishing

No matter what the new tendency is or what is modern every year, the rule of having less furnishing at home is always more. The less belongings you have on your shelves, tables and drawers at home – the better your home will look.

 Your furnishing should have the same proportions like the different rooms if you don’t want your home to look too piled.

 A color that makes an accent

The “modern” color changes each year and season. The colors in a room are always the leading element, but instead of investing on an expensive orange sofa or painting the whole room in aquamarine, it is better to arrange different accessories like pillow cases, vases, paintings and others in the modern color.

 Functional furnishing

The slab chair on the new interior magazine’s cover might look classy at first sight, but don’t get deluded – never buy something that you can’t actually sit on.

 The same goes for coffee tables. Most of the modern models look rather fragile and impractical. Choose things that you can actually use, such that you won’t only admire from a safe distance.

 Comfort

When you are buying furnishing, the functionality is not the only important thing – your furnishing should be comfortable, too. Buy something that looks good and along with that – makes you feel comfortable.

 Quality before quantity

Just because you have shelves on the walls does not necessary mean that you have to crowd them with objects; or to cover every single inch of your walls with paintings and pictures. Buy less, but quality things, which will stand out wherever you put them.

 Enough sunlight

If you, after all. Have decided to buy curtains, make sure that they can let the sunlight through. You might want to put two lines of curtains – one for during the day (see-through) and the second one can be for during the night(thick ones).

 Durability

Shop wisely – instead of buying the first “modern” furnishing with mediocre quality you see in the store, it would be better so much better for you if buy something a little more expensive and of better quality. Invest in something that you will be able to use for a longer time, and such, that will look as good in a few years.

 Maintenance is important

Remember, buy furnishing made of easy to be maintained fabrics. Regular cleaning of the furniture is very important in order to keep it fresh and better looking. If you can’t clean weekly it is not bad idea to use professional cleaning services. Most of the time the long-term results worth the money spent.

 Warm color schemes

Colors like caramel, plum and okra are the “all-time” colors, because they have the ability of “warming up” the place. It doesn’t matter if you will paint the walls with them or buy accessories in warm color schemes, your home will look classy and cozy at the same time, no matter what the furnishing tendency is at the moment.

 Different shades of gray

Gray color can never get old-fashioned in interior design. From dark gray to gray with blue tinge – gray color looks good in almost any room, gray walls, gray furnishing, gray accessories – it will all look good. Don’t overload your home with too many dark colors. Stick to the brighter ones.

 Space for storing your belongings

A well organized and tidy home always looks good. If you have a “clever” solutions for storing your belongings, they can not only be practical, but they can add an aesthetic element to your interior. You can buy nice storing box or baskets, which will allow you to store your things in a neat way.

Article written by guest contributor Karen Shanne

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Getting Things Done (Part 3 of 4): Reviewing Your Process

I am not receiving compensation for the content written in this post. This book review is based on my opinion and personal experience. 

In parts 1 and 2 of this series, I talked about the 5 Stages of Mastering Workflow from David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity and the main groupings that your items should be placed into using the diagram below. I suggested using bins and lists to represent the groupings. Parts 1 and 2 covered collecting, organizing, and processing. In this post, I will discuss regularly reviewing your main grouping bins and lists to stay on track.

With the workflow diagram, you can ORGANIZE and PROCESS the results of the things you COLLECT. This gives you an opportunity to REVIEW them and DO the work needed.

 

 

To recap, the MAIN GROUPINGS are…

Trash

Someday/Maybe 

Projects & Project Plans

Reference

Waiting For

Calendar

Next Actions

“Your brain must engage on some consistent basis with all your commitments and activities. Reviewing your system on a regular basis and keeping it current and functional are prerequisites for that kind of control,” Allen writes.

Daily Review

A daily review of your calendar and your next actions list should keep you on course for the day. Remember that your calendar can hold alerts for future tasks to be done as well as specific event times.

Weekly Review

I use this review concept most. It gives me an opportunity to review all my main grouping bins and lists as a whole. Dedicate time to it! At least 2 hours. Allen recommends early on a Friday afternoon, if possible, because the week is still fresh in your mind and you can go into the weekend ready for refreshment and recreation.

Pull out all loose papers, receipts, meeting notes, etc. not already processed and determine where they go according to the 7 main groupings above.
Review calendar data for future events that may involve prep work.
Empty your head. Write down any new projects, action items, waiting-fors, and someday/maybes to place in the applicable main groupings.
Evaluate the status of your projects. What is the intended outcome? Do you have a kick-start action for it currently?
Mark off completed actions on your next actions list. Review for further steps to take on incomplete ones.
Record new actions on your “waiting for” list. Check off items completed.
Delete items from someday/maybe list that are no longer relevant. Can any of the items be transferred to projects?

 

The key is putting everything, every task, every piece of paper, every e-mail in one of the 7 main groupings. The review is the time to purge and delete, tie up loose ends, and refocus. Once you get into the habit of really using the workflow diagram efficiently, the review time will decrease.

 

Part 4 of this Getting Things Done series will discuss what to do and when to do it.

 

Do you use a review method for getting things done?

 

How often do you review your calendar? Is it digital or printed?

The post Getting Things Done (Part 3 of 4): Reviewing Your Process appeared first on Laina Turner.

Planning Your Memorial Day Weekend

The long 3-day weekend is coming up - woo hoo! What will you be doing for Memorial Day this year? Most people will be spending the weekend with family and friends enjoying the great outdoors. If the weather’s nice, I know I definitely will be! In light of the holiday weekend, I’ve compiled a list of some great must-have items for your outdoor festivities.

Picnic Backpack

This is a fabulous idea! I love going on picnics but hate having to plan out everything I need to take with me. The picnic backpack is perfect – look at all the cool accessories that come in it! Picnic Backpack – Anniversary Gift, Backpack – $99.00, 12.95 shipping – Available at RedEnvelope

Blanket Tote-Prints

You can’t go on a picnic without a blanket. These blanket tote-prints are the perfect accessory for your picnic – they are water resistant and fold into a carrying tote. Blanket Tote-Prints – $21.95, 5.99 shipping – Available at SwimOutlet.com

Beach and Picnic Umbrella

My husband got me one of these for Mother’s Day this year and we’ve already used it twice at the beach! If you have young kids and want to keep them out of the sun, this umbrella is a huge help. Premium Connection 065-B70Y Beach and Picnic Umbrella – Yellow – $89.78, 7.22 shipping – Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

22″ Freestanding Gas Grill

You can’t have a memorial day weekend without a barbeque, right? This grill is a nice compact size and a great price! Classic C-22G1CB Black 22″ Freestanding Gas Grill (Liquid Propane, 300 sq. in, 30,000 BTU) – $192.05, Free shipping – Available at Amazon.com

Morrison Fire Pit

I just LOVE these outdoor fire pits. They are the perfect accessory to your patio. Your family and friends will love the ambience of one of these. Morrison Fire Pit – 906-BK – $275.00, Free shipping – Available at Target.com

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Postpresso.

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Presley vs. Trixie

I have a dilemma and I am hoping you can help me.

I have 3 fiction series.

 

The Presley Thurman mysteries -  10 books
The Trixie Pristine series – 3 books
The Athena Parks series (which right now is only 1 since book #2 is stuck at the editor)

The Presley series is by far the best selling which makes sense since it’s been around the longest and has many more books. However, the other 2 pale so much by comparison I wonder if it’s even worth continuing those series.

So I thought I would ask you readers your opinions on what you like/don’t like about each series. Even if you’ve only read one series or even one book of one series I want your feedback. Even if you haven’t read any please let me know what you like in your books.

What do you find entertaining?

What kind of book do you want to take to the beach this year?

While I love the cozy mysteries I write I want to make sure I’m satisfying my loyal readers and feedback will help me do that.

I am currently working on a new mystery series set on a college campus and a non-mystery just mom lit book. I also have the outlines for the next Presley, Trixie, and Athena books and am just trying to decide what the priority is.

If you haven’t read any of my books there are 2 you can download for free!

A Day In The Life Of Trixie Pristine

Stilettos & Scoundrels

 

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Tasty Tuesday: French Summer Salad

We had some great friends while living in France who invited us over for several meals. When the weather was nice, we would always sit out on the terrace to eat our meals. There was one item consistently on the menu – what I call the “French Summer Salad.” Our authentic French friends always whipped up this delicious salad and it has since become a staple in our menu planning. It’s the easiest salad to make and tastes so fresh every time!

Ingredients (serves 6-8 people)

- 6 tomatoes, diced

- 1 11 oz. can of whole kennel corn (for fresher results, use corn on the cob)

- 2 lg. avocados, diced

- 1/2 medium onion, diced

- 3 hard boiled eggs (white part only), diced

- 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, diced

- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Cut the tomatoes, avocadoes, onion, hard boiled eggs and mozzarella cheese into dice-sized pieces. Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Stir in the corn. Mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and slowly drizzle it on top of the salad. You may need to add more/less of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar depending on your taste preference. Finish off with a little salt & pepper to taste.

And, here it is!

 

 

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