Archive for the ‘Money & Finance’ Category

An Apron Full of Giveaways 10.16.12

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012
lover dovers clothing, $32

 

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Be sure to enter this week’s giveaway for a NInja Cooking System! This giveaway won’t last long and I know this could be a dinner game changer for your family!

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Giveaway Closed: Ninja Cooking System : Review & Giveaway (With an All-in-1 Chicken Piccatta with Quinoa Recipe)

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate Amybee (Comment #10) on winning this cooker! We are so happy for your family, Amy! Thank you all for your entries- I wish I had one to give away to each of you!

I am so excited to share with you today’s review and giveaway of the Ninja Cooking System. If there is one thing I love, it is a smart kitchen gadget that can save you time & money in the kitchen. This review of the Ninja Cooking System is going to blow your mind with it’s awesomeness and the best part is that I get to give a Ninja Cooking System away to one of our readers.

I love my slow cooker, but there have always been some things about it that have created more work and dishes for me because of the traditional three temperature cooking knob. The Ninja Cooking System seems to solve many of my issues that I have had with the slow cooker due to its 3-in-1 cooking system that will leave you wondering, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

Here are just four things that really set the Ninja Cooking System apart from your traditional slow cooker. 

The Stovetop Setting

Let me set the scenario for you that I would have to do with my slow cooker. First, I would go to my stove and brown my meat and make a huge mess around my stove with splatters and then I would try to pour my meat into my slow cooker once it was brown, creating dishes and a drippy mess along the way.

With the Ninja Cooker, you simply switch your dial to Stovetop and place your oil or butter right into the bottom of the pan to sear or brown your meats to the desired consistency. The depth of the cooker helps to keep splatters away and you don’t have to dirty a pan in the process.

The One Pot Ease

Pictured here  the meal that we enjoyed the first night we used the Ninja Cooking System. In this single pot is six cooked chicken breasts, one pound of asparagus, and four servings of quinoa… all in one pot!

The pot comes with a small rack and roasting pan that you can use to create layers in your dishes or can be used to bake items. The pot is definitely not roomy, but it can get the job done for a family of four or can provide a great roasting rack for a smaller whole chicken or turkey.

The Oven Setting

No need to heat up the kitchen in the summer months, you can set the oven setting on the Ninja Cooker to the desired oven temperature and roast or bake right in the cooker, simply by switching the dial. Even items like desserts can be baked right in the cooker, allowing you to free up your oven especially during the busy holiday season.

Can’t you just imagine how awesome this would be in scenarios like camping or in a hotel room when you want to save money and still eat well? I can’t wait to transport this with us!

It’s Cleans Up Like a Dream (I’m Not Kidding)

It is no exaggeration when I say that I put the insert of the Ninja Cooking System in my oven and the food fell away when I sprayed it with water. I cleaned it in five minutes flat and that was with a big batch of quinoa in the bottom. What would normally require a good soaking or a lot of elbow grease, was tidy in just a couple of swishes with dishcoth.

It does a lot more than that though, but those were the highlights for me! I am sharing a recipe from the booklet that I created in our kitchen and I want to give you the opportunity to win one of these for your family! Read the contest guidelines after the recipe and good luck to each of you! 

Chicken Piccata with Quinoa (in the Ninja Cooking System)
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Ninja Cooking System Recipe
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
Here is one example of an easy one pot dish you can create in your Ninja Cooking System!
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup uncoooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
  1. Stir flour, salt , and black pepper on plate. Coat chicken with flour mixture.
  2. Add oil and butter to pot. Set to STOVETOP HIGH and heat until butter is melted. Add chicken to pot. Cook uncovered ten minutes or until chicken is lightly browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pot.
  3. Add broth, wine, lemon juice, and capers to pot. Stir in quinoa and heat to a boil. Place roasting rack into pot and place chicken on rack. Place rack into pot and place asparagus on chicken. Set OVEN to 300 degrees for fifteen minutes. Cover until chicken is cooked through, asparagus is tender, and quinoa breaks apart.
  4. Remove asparagus and chicken from pot. Stir quinoa mixture. Turn off pot. Let quinoa mixture stand.


To enter to win a Ninja Cooking System of your own (retail value $159):

First Entry: Leave a comment and let us know what you love about the new Ninja Cooking System!

Additional Entry: Let us know you are a fan of MomAdvice and join the MomAdvice Facebook Community.

Additional Entry: Follow me on Twitter and get an early scoop on what I am up to and future giveaway opportunities with MomAdvice.

One winner, chosen at random, will receive a Ninja Cooking System (retail value of $159). Please submit your entries by Tuesday (10/23) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone!

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An Apron Full of Giveaways 10.09.12

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
4 Retro Sisters, $37.50

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

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An Apron Full of Giveaways 10.02.12

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

oktak, $42

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

An Apron Full of Giveaways 09.25.12

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
Able And Free, $31

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

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An Apron Full of Giveaways 09.18.12

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Sew Mamma Sew, $52

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Pin It

An Apron Full of Giveaways 09.11.12

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

eVintage Patterns, $3.99

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Pin It

An Apron Full of Giveaways 08.28.12

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012
Dot’s Diner, $64

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

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The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling

Monday, August 27th, 2012

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling Header

Looking for an easy steak marinade for your next cookout? These steaks can marinate in a freezer bag while you prepare your side dishes. This recipe elevates any cut of steak so no need to spend money on a filet mignon.

Adding flavor and tenderness to an inexpensive steak is so easy to do with a simple steak marinade.

If I am spending a lot of money on a more expensive cut, like a gorgeous filet mignon, I skip the marinating and allow this cut of meat shine.

The truth is, we don’t often purchase filets though. We, instead, rely heavily on the old, “who has steak on sale this week?” method for selection instead.

One technique that I’ve mastered over the years is thinly cutting my beef to disguise any toughness in texture.

It is why you often see inexpensive cuts, like skirt or flank steak, cut very thin strips for tacos.

Which steak is best for this recipe?

I happened to hit a great sale on NY strip steaks, but normally I would use this recipe on tougher cuts of beef that would benefit from being tenderized.

This recipe is great for cuts of beef like chuck steaks, hanger, skirt, or flank.

Consider any tougher cuts of beef that you might prepare in your slow cooker too.

New York Strip Steaks from Grocery Store

marinated steaks on open grill

Should you marinate a New York strip steak?

I did marinate my New York strip steaks, but this is definitely not necessary! This cut of meat is tender and flavorful without a lot of intervention.

What is the best way to cook New York strip steaks then?

Fancy cuts of meat don’t require a lot.

Since New York strip steaks are so tender, they don’t require anything beyond a pat of butter.

steaks on the grill with vegetables

What cooking method is best for each cut of beef?

I recommend taking a peek at this article on 4 expensive cuts of beef that are big on flavor. This guide should help explain which cooking method is best and help you understand the difference in flavor profiles between different cuts of meat.

For example, how ribeye and New York strip steak differ?

That, and all your burning questions about the difference between filet mignon and top sirloin are worth reading so you can adapt your cooking techniques based around steak sales.

I really think this is an incredible guide for beginner and experienced cooks.

If you use this method to make a medium rare New York strip steak, you will want to cook it to 140 degrees and then allow it to rest before cutting.

Speaking of New York strip steaks, I can’t wait to try this frozen New York strip steak technique in my kitchen soon.

Cooked Filet in Cast Iron Skillet

I don’t want to grill. How do I cook a steak like a restaurant does?

Tired of paying premium prices at your local steakhouse?

One of the best time investments I have made has been learning to make our steak dinners at home.

The trick is starting the steak on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven.

The best part is that everything can be done in ONE cast iron skillet.

Did someone say LESS DISHES?

Count me in!

Once you master this cast iron skillet method, you can enjoy a weekly steak without the guilt.

I can’t recommend my pan seared oven roasted steak recipe enough.

This is my recommendation for that restaurant experience in your own kitchen.

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling finished

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling Plated

What can I marinade my beef in that isn’t made of plastic?

Consider purchasing one of these reusable glass dishes for your marinades.

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling

Today I wanted to share with you a recipe I tried for a steak marinade.

I am no stranger to marinated steak and the beauty of creating a great steak meal at home. In the past, I have relied on a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil marinade.

I was looking for a fresh marinade recipe and stumbled upon this one.

Honestly, I have never tried a better steak marinade recipe than this one and it is made from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

For the best results, you will want to marinate your steaks for 24 hours.

Simply add steaks to a gallon size bag (I double bag these or use a freezer bag instead) and then add marinade ingredients to the bag. Seal the bag, removing the excess air, and store it in the fridge until it is time to grill.

Now that I have tried this recipe, it is highly likely I will never make my steak any other way again. You won’t believe the flavors in this and none of them overpower the delicious taste of the meat itself.

 

Best Steak Marinade in Existence  
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 6
A flavorful steak marinade that will enhance the flavor of any cut of meat you might find on sale at your local supermarket.
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons dried basil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
  1. Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk well.
  2. Pour marinade over desired type of meat.
  3. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Grill meat as desired.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Looking for great grilling side recipes? Check out these easy side ideas!

corn on the cob on the grill recipe corn on the cob on the grill

Grilled brussels sprouts grilled brussel sprouts

three cheese grilled potatoes

quinoa salad in a jar quinoa salads in a jar (with spinach & tomatoes)

Happy grilling!

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe for Grilling Header

 

 

An Apron Full of Giveaways 08.21.12

Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
Austin Wayne Designs, $35

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week, here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

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