Want to run a half marathon?

I've run one half marathon (Canyonlands Half Marathon) and one full marathon (Kona Marathon as part of an American Stroke Association fundraiser). That was back in, oh, 2002. I don't think I've run more than 3 miles at a time since then. I don't love running (I prefer weightlifting) but I do love setting goals, so my sister and I are planning to run the Hobble Creek Half Marathon in August. (Mom, you're with us in 2010!) Though she's getting up to 4+ miles, I'm still around 2 1/2 but I still have a few months to get up to speed distance.

Want to run a half marathon but don't know where to start? Try MORE magazine's Marathon/Half-Marathon training section. Though it is geared to the MORE | FITNESS Marathon + Half-Marathon, you can still find lots of wonderful advice, training schedules and other running resources. I like it because the site is geared toward women of all ages and experience.

Want to know what tunes might make your training go by a little faster? Try the playlist from Fitness magazine's article "The Half-Marathon Training Playlist." I honestly don't know over half those songs, and something new always make the time fly by (even if the scenery doesn't). You can also read "Running 101: A Beginner's Guide," a great list of running-related questions and answers.

Two other great sites are Runner's World and Road Runner Sports, for both advice and gear. You'll want to do your research, especially if you're new at the running thing, to avoid injury. I HIGHLY recommend going to a running store to get fitted for the proper running shoes. They make all the difference and are one of the best ways to avoid injury. The investment is more than worth it, I promise.

Most of all, have fun! And look forward to that sense of accomplishment you'll have once you cross the finish line. --Emily

Question: Have you run a half or full marathon? How did you train? What worked for you? Did you enjoy the experience?

Photo via Fitness Magazine, "Training Guide: Running a Half-Marathon"

Posting, schmosting

Even my very red, very Type-A personality needs to take a back seat to life sometimes, and right now is one of those times. I failed to write a couple new posts last week and am skipping out on today's post as well. Why? Well, family's been in town all week and as much as I love it when they visit (it's always a PARTY!) a few things always fall by the wayside. But I have really good excuses for not posting last Thursday and Friday. Actually, I hope I can use these excuses again when they come for another visit in June!

For one, I spent some quality time with my mom and sister for our very first--and hopefully not last--girls "overnighter" out. We spent Thursday evening at The Gateway, eating at California Pizza Kitchen, shopping and catching Duplicity on the big screen. Then we checked in at a local hotel and stayed up until 2am suffering from serious fits of giggles. The next day was Home Again (really cute consignment store), Gardner Village, Tai Pan, Old Navy, and the mall. We got home with about 2 hours to spare before the adults went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and caught the 7:30pm showing of Knowing. Saturday was the Mom It Forward service project, a long nap and then a last night out with family.

My parents left this morning and now it's time to catch up on everything (except my blog) that fell through the cracks while we played. The main things? Laundry, toilets and taxes. Hopefully I'll be posting again very soon! --Emily

Bondville: Giveaway! myMonkeymoo stroller set

If you haven't read our past post about being featured on the super cool Aussie site Bondville, then it's high time you discovered this fun, fashionable and all thing hip and cool site from Stephanie Bond, a woman who knows great style when she sees it. (And I'm not just saying that because she likes georgie tees!)

She is currently having a fabulous giveaway on her blog. The myMonkeymoo stroller set includes a stroller pad and blanket that is "all chic-patterned fabric on one side and super-soft chenille on the other. ... The liner adapts to most strollers, is machine washable, and the blanket can double as a change mat." I love things that can multitask as well as I do and myMonkeymoo sounds like it not only multitasks but does it in style. No wonder Stephanie featured it on Bondville!

To enter the giveaway visit the myMonkeymoo website and comment on Stephanie's post with your favorite myMonkeymoo design. The contest ends at midnight (AEST) on Friday, March 28th. Read her official rules to see how you can earn even more entries towards the giveaway. This set is too cute to pass by, even with spring around the corner. Here in Utah I'd still go for the stroller blanket; it probably won't stop snowing until mid June at the rate we're going!

While reading about the giveaway check out Stephanie's blog. She find some of the most awesome, unique products and I've loved pretty much every company she's featured. Bondville makes it a truly wonderful web wednesday! --Emily

The Voice of Mom: Tide Loads of Hope

I love when I can combine fashion with supporting a worthy cause, and thanks to a recent post from The Voice of Mom, I get to do that today! I had no idea Tide had a campaign called "Tide Loads of Hope," which "helps in the aftermath of a natural disaster by providing clean clothes and a sense of comfort to families in need."

Tide has partnered with Feeding America and the campaign travels to disaster-affected neighborhoods with either or trucks or vans providing families with free mobile laundry service. Who knew laundry was going mobile? What a great concept! From The Voice of Mom's post: "To date, Tide Loads of Hope has washed more than 35,000 loads of laundry for over 20,000 families. Most importantly, the Tide Loads of Hope program means [they’re] equipped to take action whenever and wherever there is a need in our country."

Here's where the cause ties into our fashion trend tuesday. You can support Tide Loads of Hope by purchasing one of their cool vintage tees. The tees come in four colors (red, green, blue and yellow) and both women's and men's styles. They are only $20, which is a small price to pay for a cool t-shirt and a cool cause. All profits go to support families affected by disaster.

To read more about the Tide Loads of Hope trucks and vans and the cool things they're doing, check out "Buy a Shirt, Help a Cause: Tide Loads of Hope" from The Voice of Mom. To purchase your own vintage Tide tee, visit the Tide Loads of Hope T-shirt page here. Nothing like some good, clean fun tees to kick of spring! --Emily

Photo from The Voice of Mom.

5 Minutes for Mom Ultimate Blog Party--party on, moms!

freshly baked is excited to be a part of 5 Minutes for Mom's third annual Ultimate Blog Party. We did this last year and had a blast, so of course we're back for more. Plus in today's economy, a virtual party means no need to purchase a new party outfit (with matching heels, of course) and pay for a babysitter. We love saving money!

Though this post doesn't have an awesome video or slideshow, it's not because we wouldn't love to do something so nifty. It's more that we couldn't find the time between wiping snotty noses, driving carpool, doing umpteen loads of laundry and oh yeah, taking a shower. But to spice this post up a little bit I did include a photo from when this mom took five minutes (it was more like 120 minutes) for a really fun photo shoot for her stylist's portfolio. See? I'm not always blogging in my pj's! And of course I couldn't leave out my amazingly beautiful BFF and business partner LeShan. And yes, she looks this good even in her pj's!

We're 2 moms with 8 children between us ranging in ages from 1 1/2 to 11. That 8 is made up of 5 girls, 3 boys and a 1 set of twins. That number does not include our husbands, though we often think it should. LeShan and I started our company, georgie tees, in June of 2005 and have had a great time growing the business. LeShan is a fabulous ballet teacher and I'm sure I'm good at something...as a result we have quite a few other projects in the works and just announced we are looing for a new owner for our baby (aka georgie tees). (For more information you can read our post on the sale here.)

Our blog has a mix of everything: mompreneur tips, health and fitness guides, fashion trends, recipes and sites we love. Feel free to browse all you like; we'd love it even more if you comment. If you leave us a comment on this post, please include a link to your blog or site if you have one so we can come on over to party with you! Party on, moms! It's 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party! --Emily

Blue Lemon Bistro: A tasty twist on healthy eating

Consider today's food for thought friday recipe a recipe for success:

Blue Lemon Bistro's "pure clean food with a twist"
Chic style
Fabulously designed interior space
Inviting atmosphere
Friendly staff
Fresh, healthy, "clean" food
Tantalizing menu
Budget-friendly prices

Combine above ingredients and mix well. Throw in a dash of free WiFi and serve with a side of Blue Sky all-natural sodas.

I've never tried this recipe but Lychelle and Aaron, the owners of Blue Lemon Bistro, have perfected it. I was able to experience Blue Lemon Bistro this week with a few new and old (figuratively speaking of course) blogging friends (see photo at the end of thist post). It was an experience I plan to repeat with my husband, my girlfriends, my family...heck, I'd even go with complete strangers!

Blue Lemon Bistro is located in east Highland just off the Alpine Highway. The owners believe in creating "a delectable menu [that] features only foods that fuel the body in a healthy way without sacrificing taste. After all, what good is the healthiest food in the world if you can’t get it past your lips?" Their "clean" food is all natural and prepared in a way so it maintains and maximizes nutrients. And I will agree with what it says above--they don't sacrifice on taste and I definitely got A LOT of food past my lips!

Before I get into the sweet and savory dishes, let me set the scene. (I'd have taken photos but left both my Flip and digital camera at home, too distracted by my search for the cell phone my toddler had hidden somewhere.) The restaurant is sleek and modern in design yet comfortable and inviting. It has a casual atmosphere; simply walk up, order your meal and then seat yourself while you wait for your food to arrive. I loved the light maple tables and cheerful tiled blue walls. It was crisp and clean...and extremely refreshing, especially after a very long day home with the kids.

Blue Lemon Bistro's menu offers everything from salads and sandwiches to entrees, soups, sides and kids meals. It took me a really long time to decide on a dish, and even when I walked up to the register I was still unsure...should I stick with the Lemon-Lime Grilled Chicken B.L.T. or go for the Blue Lemon Grilled Vegetable Sandwich? Chelle's Famous Vegetable Lasagna was also calling my name as were the soups of the day. What's a girl to do? I went with the B.L.T. and added on a side of fruit salad with strawberry yogurt sauce and a cup of tomato bisque soup. I also wanted to sample their Blue Sky Natural Sodas so I tacked one of those on as well.

I sat down and sipped my all-natural raspberry soda (to die for and well worth the extra calories...and that coming from a die-hard diet soda fan!) while watching as plate after scrumptious plate of food was delivered to our tables. I caught sight of the vegetable lasagna and had second thoughts about my B.L.T. Then the grilled vegetable sandwich landed across from me and I worried I had made a mistake. Soon my B.L.T. arrived and all worries disappeared. The sandwich was decked out with crispy turkey bacon, juicy red and yellow tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, lettuce, and pesto aioli served on grilled sourdough bread. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be. I was drooling all over that thing before I could pick it up! The sandwich was wonderful, the fruit salad an array of crisp, colorful fruit and the tomato bisque? It definitely rivaled my current favorite from Paradise Bakery.

I could go on and on about how much everyone enjoyed their food but I'll spare you the hunger pains. I will say this, and it should pretty much convince you you'll love Blue Lemon Bistro. I don't like squash. I don't like anything related to squash: pumpkin pie, yams, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, you name it. While I was enjoying my B.L.T., Lychelle brought out the Bistro's specialty butternut squash soup (I'm sure it has a fancy name but I wouldn't know it since I didn't even consider ordering it) and after the extreme peer pressure to try it, I took a very, very small taste. HOLY COW! It was, as one girl said, like drinking candy. It was smooth, buttery, cinnamon-y, brown sugary and topped with some sort of cinnamon croutons and what I think were brown-sugar-glazed walnuts. I could have bathed in that stuff it was that good! It was a serious ride for my tastebuds as was the hummus (another side I don't usually care for), mac and cheese and fresh fruit smoothies.

My husband took half of my sandwich to work the next day. He called me to simply tell me something along these lines: "This is one tasty sandwich. The tomatoes are so good and the cheese is mellow and tasty...All right, I'm a believer." I have never heard him say "mellow" and "tasty" or describe a sandwich in such detail. Could it be that Blue Lemon Bistro's "pure clean food with a twist" had some sort of affect on his tastebuds as well? I'm thinking, yes.

I was able to go on a tour of Blue Lemon Bistro and discovered the restaurant also has a smaller cafe where you can order treats like cupcakes, truffles, and tarts along with coffee, espresso, and a wide variety of blended drinks. In the back there is a fun little kitchen designed for cooking classes, group gatherings and even date nights. (Did Lychelle really say "Iron Chef Date Night?" I am so there!)

Blue Lemon Bistro is located at 11073 North Alpine Hwy in Highland, Utah and is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 10pm and Friday & Saturday from 11:30am to 11 pm. Though it's pretty far east off I-15, it is totally worth the drive. And if you carpool, that's some pure clean goodness for the environment! --Emily

P.S. Want to hear what a few other blogging women had to say about our night at Blue Lemon Bistro? Check out these tasty posts (more to come):

• Kami from No Biggie: "They're Smart..."
• April from Sweet Life in the Valley: "Sweet Eats in the Valley * Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Kelsey from VanillaJoy: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Jyl from Mommy Gossip: "The Best Part of On Is Off" (scroll down to the bottom of this post for the part about Blue Lemon Bistro, but the whole post is a great read!)
• Vanessa from I Never Grew Up: "Saturday: Shop!--Going Out to Eat as a Family"
• Liz from Say YES! to Hoboken: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
• Vanessa from Little Window Shoppe: "Blue Lemon"
• Azucar from The Jet Set: "Blue Lemon Confidential" (Ah, the memories--thanks, Azucar!)
• Lindsey from the r house: "blue lemon bistro"
• Allison from Petit Elefant: "blue lemon bistro."
• Marie from Make and Takes: "Blue Lemons and Blogging Babes" ("blogging babes" pretty much nails it!)
• Lindsey from Cafe Johnsonia: "Local Stuff: Blue Lemon Bistro" (some great behind-the-scenes photos)
• Kim from Simply Me: "Blue Lemon = Deliciousness" (more great photos!)
• Stephanie from Stephmodo: "Blue Lemon Bistro"
  

Photo courtesy of Kami over at No Biggie

Are you "just a blogger?"

If you're reading this then you're already familiar with blogs. When I think about the Internet without blogs it reminds me of oft-asked questions like, "What did we do without cell phones?" or "How did we survive without the Internet?" Blogs make it a truly wonderful web, and on that note I wanted to repost MomDot's "I am just a blogger." Short, sweet and very much to the point. If you're a blogger, you will totally relate. Happy wonderful web wednesday!

I am just a blogger
by Trisha from MomDot (one of my favorite blogs)

I am just a blogger.

I am not a preacher.

I am just sharing an opinion.

I am not a teacher.

I am just trying to impart the little knowledge to some that may benefit.

I am not perfect.

I do not claim to be.

I am just trying to relate my own experiences.

I am opinionated.

I am outspoken.

I am human.

I am ethical.

I am aggressive and judgmental.

I do not care if someone doesn’t like what I have to say or how I say it.

I am unfair.

I make no excuses.

I am true to myself.

I am always right.

After all, I am just a blogger.



~Trisha

Amen, Trisha! Now, who wants to write one titled "I am just a mom?" Actually, I think quite a few of those have already been written... --Emily

Time to pass the georgie tees torch

I tried to come up with some lighthearted introduction to today's post but just couldn't do it. Not that it's a sad subject--it's actually a rather exciting one for us, and in a way relates to a fashion trend tuesday post. The good news is LeShan and I both have a few new projects in the works. The bad news is in order to make these new endeavors happen, we will be moving on from georgie tees, selling the company we have built over the past three (almost four) years.

You will find a mini post about all of this on a couple of our favorite sites and we didn't want it to take you by surprise. It's already up on A Mom in Red High Heels and a similar mention will soon be seen on the Mom 4 Life blog, Boutique Cafe and The Lily Pad. Here's how our friend Tammy is helping us spread the word--her post, "Own It: Your Own Maternity & Infant T-Shirt Line," made me smile:

Moms, one of my favorite maternity t-shirt lines, is for sale! georgie tees™ is designed to add humor–and kick!–to this amazing thing we call motherhood! georgie tees™ brings you freshly baked style in infant & maternity apparel. LeShan and Emily, the moms behind the biz, have both been interviewed right here on A Mom in Red High Heels!

If you’ve ever thought of owning your own business in the maternity/infant fashion industry, this business is definitely worth looking into!

LeShan and Emily, the women behind georgie tees, are looking for a mom or moms who are interested in owning their own business and who would be a perfect fit for their company. LeShan and Emily have spent over three years building their business and as much as they’d love to continue, both women have new projects they are working on and entrepreneurial husbands who could use their wives’ help to grow their own businesses.

Even with all the multitasking these women do, they can’t make time for everything in their busy schedules! They have built a strong foundation for georgie tees and are excited to see it grow under new ownership. If you or someone you know might be interested in georgie tees, you can email LeShan and Emily at bizinfo[at]georgietees[dot]com for more information.

We appreciate everyone who is helping spread the word. We aren't in a hurry; we're all about making sure the new owners will be a great fit for the company (i.e. we hope they have a good sense of humor!). For more information you can email us at bizinfo@georgietees.com. Until the sale is final (and probably for a little while after) we will continue to pour our hearts and souls into our baby company...it's what mompreneurs do! --Emily

"How to Make T.I.M.E. Work for You"

Making time work for me is something in which I'm definitely interested, especially as a mom and business owner. For today's mompreneur monday I wanted to share with you a wonderful workshop Tara McCausland, a Twitter--and now IRL--friend of mine (@myjoyquest--what a fabulous name!) from Joy Quest Coaching is teaching this week. Unfortunately it is an "offline" workshop and held here in Utah, but if you're within driving distance of Mapleton I highly recommend you make the time to attend. The workshop is free and promises to be fabulous. I'm all for anything that helps restore a bit of sanity to my harried life!

Here is the info:

LADIES!

Are you feeling hurried and harried? Come join us for a free workshop on Life Balance and Time Management titled How to Make T.I.M.E. Work for You next week on Thursday, March 19 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm in Mapleton (address and directions below).

The workshop will be geared toward a female audience, but anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

We'll be discussing how and why to:

PLAN and PRIORITIZE effectively
INVEST in yourself
Make BOUNDARIES with family, friends, and co-workers
ELIMINATE guilt from your life

Refreshments will be served after the presentation. Please RSVP to tara@myjoyquest.com by March 18th if you're interested in attending. Hope to see you there!

Tara McCausland
Joy Quest - Life/Success Coach
myjoyquest.com
801.979.6244

Location
The Croshaw Lodge
1255 S. 1000 E.
Mapleton, UT 84664

Note: The mapquest directions are excellent, but they are currently doing construction on the 2nd Springville exit which is the one you typically take. Instead take the 1st Springville exit, continue on main street until the road forks to the right. Follow the directions as written after that. The Lodge is located behind the Croshaw residence.

I wish I could attend but already have a commitment that night. If any of you are planning on going, please take notes for me! For those in the Salt Lake area who want to carpool, leave a comment below with an email so others can contact you in case they'd like to carpool as well. You could make it a girls night out!

Feel free to email this info to friends and family who might be interested in attending. Tara would also love to have you Twitter about it, post it on Facebook...whatever you can do to spread the word. It is a very timely and important workshop for all of us women, business owners or not! --Emily

Chef Chris Perrin's fish tacos with pineapple cole slaw

Though I don't love seafood I do love a good fish taco. My faves are from Elephant Bar and Del Taco. Don't laugh! Del Taco's fish tacos are pretty darn tasty and at less than $1.50, a great purchase during today's economy.

I have yet to make fish tacos at home; I rarely buy seafood (do fish sticks count?) and up until a few days ago, hadn't found a recipe that tempted me enough to try it at home. But thanks to Twitter, #gno (Mom It Forward's "girls night out" tweetup) and @BlogWellDone I have a fish taco recipe I plan to try in the very near future. It must be a good one if I'm considering browsing the local grocery store's seafood counter! Visit BlogWellDone to check out more fabulous recipes from Chef Chris Perrin (aka @BlogWellDone).

Fish Tacos with Pineapple Cole Slaw
For the fish:
8 two-inch-by-four inch tilapia fillets
2 c rice flour
2 c soda water
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 T garlic powder

Oil for frying

8 corn tortillas for serving

For the coleslaw:
1 c of cabbage, shredded
1 c of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c canned cubed pineapple with juice
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T mustard

For the sauce:
1/2 c ranch dressing
3 T taco seasoning
2 tsp sugar

Mix all of the ingredients for the coleslaw in a large bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for several hours to let the flavors combine.

Remove the tilapia from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Mix the flour, soda water, egg, salt, baking powder and garlic powder into a bowl until it has the consistency of pancake batter. Dip each piece of fish in the batter and then put aside so the batter sets.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees or medium high heat. Fry each piece of fish until golden brown and cooked, about 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

To make the sauce, mix the ranch and the taco seasoning right before serving the fish tacos.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a wet towel and microwave for 30 seconds to make them pliable. Use two tortillas to form the shell instead of one. Fill the taco with two pieces of fish then add a heaping pile of slaw and top with sauce.

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, ...I could be eating a slow learner." ~Lynda Montgomery

Rookie Moms really is "more fun than wiping someone's tushy"

"This web site is inspired by our need to have at least one fun activity per day for our baby’s first year. Now we have over 1000!" If you're a new mom worried about coming up with fun things to do with your little one or ones, Rookie Moms is the perfect site. Heather and Whitney started the site to share their great activities with other moms--it's so nice when someone does the work for you, don't you think?

What I love about their ideas is they've been there, done that (or are doing it). They aren't just spouting the latest and greatest idea without having tried it first. Heather and Whitney are real moms with real ideas--things even you and I could pull off. If they're trying something new, they'll tell you about it. Take Heather's recent post "Shred away your own baby fat." In it she talks about her attempt to fight the remaining post-partum baby weight by joining the Shredheads. Curious? Read the post to find out just who the Shredheads are (and Heather's code name).

You can search their extensive list of ideas or browse activities by age (my favorite feature), type of activity and even metro area (sadly no Salt Lake City...yet). Plus the moms behind Rookie Moms have their own book, The Rookie Mom's Handbook: 250 Activities to Do With (and Without!) Your Baby. What can't these women do?

Even if you're not a "new" mom there are still plenty of ideas for you to do with kids of all ages. With spring break around the corner and summer vacation the corner after that, I have a feeling I'll be visiting Rookie Moms a heck of a lot more often! --Emily

Denim goes "deal of the day"

I'm either a member or an RSS subscriber of a few "deal of the day" sites, including Mockstar Baby, The Mini Social, Rue La La and Babysteals.com. I recently discovered a new one and it's all about denim--I think I'm in heaven!

Citizen Blues is a new face on the deal scene. Though Citizen Blues, like other sites, provides customers with authentic designer clothing at a fraction of the price, the site only features one product a day. Short and sweet and to the point, perfect for those who don't have the time to shop.

You'll recognize many of the designer labels and Citizen Blues offers them for at least 50% off the retail price. It's a good thing they only feature one product at a time or I may max out my credit card in one visit! With a counter for each size you'll know just how many are left; you can judge if you have time to run an errand or if you better place your order immediately before your size is gone.

These days steals and deals on designer labels are more fashionable than ever, so this fashion trend tuesday be sure to add Citizen Blues to your high-style RSS feed. --Emily

Who does the ironing in your home?

This mompreneur spent last night ironing close to 15 of her husband's shirts because he "had nothing to wear" (yeah, right--he just had no clue how to iron) and then most of today trying to catch up on a long to-do list. Hence, no mompreneur monday post. But sometimes that's what a mompreneur has to do--put aside what she wants to do and focus on what she has to do. Sigh...

I'm off to get more done so I have time to write tomorrow's post later this evening. Let's just hope my husband can find at least one pair of clean socks otherwise he'll have no clean socks for work tomorrow since he's long forgotten how to do laundry... --Emily

Sausage, tomato & cream pasta plus easy Italian bread

It's food for thought friday and time for another pairing of tasty recipes. Today's recipes feature a bow tie pasta dish I discovered on a great blog called The Motherload plus a delicious bundt-pan bread from my good friend Becky. I haven't yet tried the bow tie pasta dish but I am definitely going to soon. I have tried the Italian bread--and can eat half a bundt pan all by myself! Hopefully you have stronger willpower than I. Enjoy!

Bow Ties With Sausage, Tomato, & Cream
1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 T olive oil
1 lb Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (removed from the casing)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can omit/decrease if your family doesn't like spicy dishes)
1/2 c diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c heavy cream (or half & half to save on calories)
1/2 tsp salt
3 T minced fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.


Easy Italian Bread
4 1/2 to 5 1/4 c of all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c milk
1 c water
1/2 c margarine or butter
2 eggs
2 T grated Parmesan or another Italian cheese

Filling
1 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp dried italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c margarine or butter, softened

In large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar salt and yeast; blend well. In small saucepan heat milk, water and 1/2 cup margarine until very warm. Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 3/4 cups of flour. (I used my Kitchen Aid for this entire process.)

Generously grease bundt and sprinkle with cheese. In small bowl combine all filling ingredients; mix well. Spoon half of batter into greased pan; spoon filling mixture evenly over batter to within 1/2 inch of sides of pan. Spoon remaining batter over filling. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or cloth towel and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 30 min.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover dough and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from pan; cool on wire rack. Serve warm or cool.

NOTE: Seriously grease that pan! If you don't the loaf will break in half along the cheese line and you'll be left scraping the bottom half out and trying to align it with what's already on the cooling rack. Trust me, it's not fun. Also, you could do some really fun variations on this recipe, like add chopped pepperoni or try a different cheese like cheddar or pepper jack.

"If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?" ~Author Unknown

Photo by The Motherload

Win a ticket to BlogHer from Z Recommends!

What's hot? Blogging. What's hotter than that? Blogging conferences, especially those like BlissDom and BlogHer, which are all about the female blogger. I missed BlissDom and am still kicking myself for not looking into it earlier in the year. I'm already planning to attend next year (my husband doesn't know yet, so don't tell him).

Though I missed BlissDom there is still BlogHer. The four previous BlogHer conferences were sold out and this one is sure to do the same. "BlogHer '09 will bring bloggers from every corner of the blogosphere together for hands-on learning, rich discussions, opportunities to meet with the brands that support them and plentiful networking opportunities." The theme for this year is "In Real Life." The conference will be held at the The Chicago Sheraton & Towers July 24-25.

Here's the exciting (i.e. giveaway) part! Z Recommends, a blog all about parenting, product reviews, and consumer advocacy and research, is giving away a ticket to BlogHer--a $300 value!

Z Recommends and PRIZEY have teamed up to offer a ticket to BlogHer to one lucky blogger! This ticket covers admission to both days of the conference, on-site child care if you need it, breakfasts, lunches, and a cocktail reception. You'll still need to cover your hotel (the Sheraton the conference is being held at has a $199 per night special for attendees) and flight (unless you're lucky enough to live in the area).

By the way if you love giveaways and aren't familiar with PRIZEY, then let me open up a whole new giveaway-world to you. It is THE site for up-to-the-minute parents' giveaway and sweepstakes info. If a blog or site is giving away a Svan high chair or Kids Konserve lunch set, PRIZEY will know about it and point you in the right direction to enter.

But I digress...if you'd like to attend the annual sold-out blogging conference, visit Z Recommends to learn how to enter to win a ticket to BlogHer '09. It takes a little more work than just commenting on the post, but it is well worth it!

Though I'm not an A-list blogger...yet...I have had a lot of fun writing for freshly baked, our georgie tees blog. A few of my favorite posts from the past are "Even a 17-month-old can make a point" (short but very sweet), "Better than an SNL skit" and "The secret life of a soccer mom." I'm all about making it real!

Now wish me luck! Hope to see you at BlogHer '09! (And my husband doesn't know about these plans either, so let's just keep it between you and me...) --Emily

P.S. I know it's actually Wednesday and this is a that's hot! thursday post but I couldn't wait to tell you about this awesome giveaway!

A quick Q & A about detox diets

It's late and I almost gave up on a post for take it off tuesday, but I still suffer from guilt when I don't do posts on a daily basis. Fortunately I found this quick-and-easy ready about detox diets from Fitness magazine. LeShan and I once tried a juice fast--the results weren't pretty including lightheadedness, cold sweats and nausea. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a real detox diet but a juice fast is one way people try to cleanse their system. We haven't tried anything since, unless you consider subsisting solely on brownies and caffeine a detox diet.

In "Can a Detox Diet Improve My Looks?" Fitness magazine focuses on one reason many people detox, and as you can tell it's not for the internal benefits:

Toxin-flushing detox diets are still popular, despite crazy ingredients, weeks-long durations, and extreme restrictions. But can a detox diet really improve your skin and hair, or will it do more damage than good? Top experts reveal the real effects detoxing can have on your looks.

Out of the four questions, my favorite is, "What will I look like after a few days on a detox?" The answer?

Not pretty. You can drop up to five pounds in a week -- primarily water weight. "Losing water that fast can make your skin dry and wrinkly," Blatner says. And going a week without protein can weaken hair, which is 97 percent protein, says Tara Gidus, RD, of the American Dietetic Association.

That's all I need to know! You'll want to read the full mini article, especially since it also answers the question, "Do I need to eliminate toxins with a special diet?" I'll give you a hint: the answer starts with an "n" and ends with an "o." --Emily

Proximidade Award: it's all about spreading the love!

Today's mompreneur monday post is short and sweet: spread the love. When you support other women in business, whether it's a shout-out on your blog, some much needed advice or mentoring, an act of service in time of need, anything that helps make the road to success a little bit easier is what I call spreading the love. When you help spread a little love I guarantee it will come back to you tenfold; it may not be immediate but it will happen.

Speaking of spreading the love, my friend Stephanie over at Bondville sent a little love our way in her recent post "Cool Websites: Proximidade Award." Bondville received the Proximidade Award, which "is all about community - sharing, celebrating others, and commending those who are building something special online." Bondville received the award from KidStyleFile and she in turn bestowed it upon us and seven other fantastic sites. (You'll have to read her post for the full list.) Thank you, Steph, for nominating us for the award!

Here is the official statement about the award:

These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!"

We are more than happy to send some attention to our favorite blogs!

Official rules for recipients of the award: This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog. Here are the blogs we feel are all about community--and spreading the love, of course:

• Boutique Cafe -- Yes, I am a bit biased since I write for the site but Daria is one of the most amazing women I know. BC is all about community and friendship.
• MomDot -- Another great community for moms and mom bloggers. The posts on this blog make me smile, cry, swear and occasionally wet my pants. Thanks, girls!
• Z Recommends -- This is my one-stop source for the latest reviews, news, comings and goings in the world of parenting. The ZRecs network is all about family.
• NieNie Dialogues -- No explanation necessary...
• c jane enjoy it-- If you've followed the story of Stephanie Nielsen and her family (see NieNie Dailogues above) then you know all about this blog and I'm sure love it just as much as I do.
• StartupPrincess -- One of my favorite sites for women in business. With all the Fairy Godmothers and Startup Princesses, it feels like you're part of a royal family!
• Mom It Forward -- This site is all about moms giving service. Now THAT'S spreading some serious love!
• A Mom in Red High Heels -- I love Tammy and I love her blog. It's all about helping moms look and feel their best. Gotta love that!

Every one of these sites is stellar and worth a moment or two of what I know is your very precious time. Thank you again to Stephanie over at Bondville for the award. Now it's our turn to spread some love. Please help us do so by visiting the sites we've nominated. Sometimes it's more important to be a visitor than to count your (unique) visitors... --Emily