March 19th, 2012

An App A Day…

keeps the doctor away? I don’t even know what that means.

I need some app help. I have an iphone, macbook and an ipad, so am looking for apple functionality although Spencer basically stole the ipad so I am not even sure I should be counting that one. Well, anyway. I have needs.

Sporty:

As I said in my 12 in 2012 redux post, I would like to start logging calories and exercise again, but I can’t find an app I love. I’ve tried the sparkpeople app, which is ok there are lots of foods and I like being able to search the user added foods, but a lot of the time those are wrong. Also, the exercise part seems to grossly overestimate the calories burned using the elliptical machine. I tried the Losing It app, but it doesn’t have most of the food I eat and I am too lazy to manually add a certain type of granola bar so I just pick something else and I’m not sure how accurate that might be. So, still looking.

Organize:

Looking for a list or to do list app, but mostly for grocery store and target list. I tried Errands, but don’t like the interface to enter things or go get them. This needs to be easy because I can barely remember to write things on the board, let alone remember to look at the list before I go. Someone on twitter recommended Out of Milk, which sounded perfect, but I couldn’t find it in the app store.  I need a grocery app with the ability to make a list by store and have multiple stores: ie make a target list, a trader joe’s list, etc. In an ideal world, they would be linked in some way and I could put something on a list in more than one store and it would take it of any list when i checked it off.

This isn’t really an app so much as I am looking for a cleaning schedule. I really want to get better about routine cleaning things, like fridge, mini blinds, medicine cabinets, that sort of thing. I don’t know how often these sorts of things are supposed to be cleaned. If I could find even a chart (that isn’t quite as overwhelming as Martha or the Fly Lady) I could input reminders into google calendar or something. But an app would be awesome.

Efficiency:

I need to move beyond laptop stickies and rouge word files for blog management. What to people use to keep track of stuff? I use a calendar for deadlines, but what about for ideas, links, inspiration stuff? I’m all over the place with where I read things online so I don’t have a consistent method and I end up losing things because some are pinned, some are bookmarked and some are starred in my reader.

And what do people think about link posts? I was thinking about bringing back 5 things I love this week (I think it has been over a year, I think, since I have done one), but I feel like link posts are all over the place right now. I’m starting to think that unless they have a specific them or are from a really good curator, the posts can be a little boring.

March 18th, 2012

P366: March 11 – March 17

I need to take more pictures of Spencer eating real food. From the photos this week, I just looks like I stuffed him full of junk, but, in fact, I actually cooked almost every night for the last two weeks and we’ve had very few lunches out. He’s just cuter with a giant pretzel than eating baked chicken and vegetables…

Sunday

Eating

Monday

Crafting

Tuesday

Running away

Wednesday

More eating

Thursday

Butcher Shop Dancing

Friday

Even more eating.

Saturday

Rain dancing

Bonus Even More Eating (1st Shamrock Shake!)

Linking up with Amy

March 16th, 2012

St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef And Cabbage

I was pulling up this recipe to see what type of beer it used, so I figured I might as well repost it for anyone still looking for a recipe for corned beef for St Patrick’s Day tomorrow. And I am going to take a picture this year, so when I invariably repost it next year it will be much cuter.

This post originally appeared in 2011.

Hope everyone (who celebrates it) had an awesome St Patrick’s Day. Ours was super fun despite Spencer being a smidgen under the weather. I cooked corned beef, cabbage, potatoes in the crock pot and made my legendary truffle brownies, that are mostly Martha’s with a touch of Amy. After I loaded up the crock pot, I realized I was making way too much food for two people and a toddler, so we invited the in-laws over for dinner.

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this on here before, but while I am no slouch in the kitchen, I am always intimidated cooking for my in-laws. They used to own/run/cook their restaurant (South American cuisine) and are excellent home chefs as well. Obviously. So, I decided to invite them over for some wacky crock pot meal I had never made before. (Hence the cake, father-in-law’s favorite.)

But, it turned out so, so good! I forgot to take a picture (bad blogger!) but I thought I might as well record the recipe for posterity.

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer!
2-3 pound corned beef brisket
1 onion
1 pound of potatoes (I used red potatoes, skins left on)
1 head cabbage
1 beer (I used Sam Adams Light, but I imagine any light lager or ale would do)

1. Slice the onion in to rings and spread on the bottom of the crock pot
2. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces and spread on to of the onions
3. Remove the corned beef from the package, pat dry and trim any excess fat
4. If a seasoning packet was included, rub on the corned beef. (If not, mix some mustard seeds, pickling spice, pepper and rub on the meat. Maybe throw a bay leaf in the pot too.)
5. Put the meat on top of the potatoes.
6. Pour the beer over the meat,
7. Turn the crock pot on high for 2 hours and then turn it down to low. Cook for 5 more hours.
8. Cut the cabbage in half through the core and then cut each half in to 3-4 wedges. Put in the crock pot on top of the meat, cover and cook another 1.5 to 2 hours.
9. When the time is up, remove the cabbage first and put in a dish or platter. Remove the meat and put on a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes and onions and put in a dish or on a platter. Cover everything with foil to keep warm.
10. Let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice against the grain and put on the platter or dish.
11. Serve with warm toasty bread. YUM.

Serves 4 and tastes best with Black and Tans

St Patrick's Day 2012

March 14th, 2012

Celebrating SITS Day

My very first blogging conference was Bloggy Bootcamp in San Francisco in August 2010. I say that with authority, like I’ve been to a ton of conferences, but in reality, I have only been two, but maybe attending blog conferences is like losing one’s virginity and the first time is extra special. Wow. Got off track there.

I really enjoyed Bloggy Bootcamp and learned a lot. I also learned I needed to hone my social skills before attempting another conference. The setting was intimate and the view from the tip-top of a hotel in San Francisco’s union square was spectacular. One of my favorite things about the conference set up was the way seating is assigned and tables are switched between each presenter. I wish I had taken better advantage of it then.I sort of know how to network now.

I know so much more now and am a lot more confident, with myself, my blog and (maybe) my social skills. And that is why I am writing this post. SITS has a contest running where Bloggy Bootcamp alumni can write a post and be entered to win a trip to the 2012 Bloggy Bootcamp of their choice. Not just a ticket, the whole trip – amazingly generous. If you went to BBC and want to enter, hurry, I procrastinated and the contest ends today (3/14).

The 2012 dates and locations are St Louis (4/21), Philadelphia (5/19), Dallas (9/15), Las Vegas (10/13). I don’t even know how I would choose. I always recommend Bloggy Bootcamp to friends and think it is an amazing first conference experience and a great resource for blogging veterans.

The contest rules stipulate that we should state why we want to go back – quite simply: I want a do over. I know so much more now.

I also know to take more pictures. This is seriously the only picture I have from BBC with people in it, which is simultaneously awful and hilarious.