Handbag Planet: handbags without the high price tag

I love handbags almost as much as I love jeans and shoes. (I'd probably love them just as much if I had more room in my closet.) My friend Melissa over at Makin' Memories passed along the info about Handbag Planet, a new website that boasts "high fashion handbags without the high price." Inspired by the latest popular designer brands these handbags don't come with the designer price tag. All bags on Handbag Planet will be priced between $30 and $80!

The site launches October 15th, and to celebrate they're giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours! To enter to win simply sign up by submitting your name and email, then sselect the handbag you'd like to win. That's it. No catches (S&H fees, credit card info, membership fee, etc.) Plus if you pass along the info about Handbag Planet to your friends you'll earn extra entries. I've already registered and selected my favorite bag (7:00 p.m.). Good luck narrowing it down to one! Head on over to Handbag Planet and enter to win! --Emily

yummy deviled eggs (and the coolest way to peel hardboiled eggs!)

Though many of us love to entertain all years long, the holidays are often the busiest time of the year when it comes to crowd-friendly finger foods. One of my favorite appetizers is deviled eggs, yet I don't make them nor do I see them very often. Why is that? My guess is because of the time involved in peeling those dang eggs, and if not hardboiled just right you end up with tired fingers and less-than-appetizing eggs.

But this holiday season you may see more platters of deviled eggs than in previous years, and it's all thanks to Timothy Ferriss' YouTube video "How to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs Without Peeling." Yes, without peeling! The clip is only one minute long but it could very well change your life. Just watch:



Being women we have enough hot air to spare; we'll have a couple dozen eggs peeled in no time!

Now you need to use those freshly peeled hardboiled eggs so here are a couple deviled egg recipes from AllRecipes.com. I can't wait to try them! (If you use one before we do, please leave a comment letting us know what you thought. The same goes for Ferriss' super cool technique for peeling hardboiled eggs.)

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 c mayonnaise
4 slices bacon
2 T finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1 T mustard

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. (Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice.) Crumble and set aside.

Cut eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.


Spinach Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 T vinegar
2 T butter or margarine, softened
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise, vinegar, butter, sugar, pepper and salt. Add spinach and mix well. Stir in the bacon; spoon into egg whites. Serve immediately.

"Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold -- but so does a hard-boiled egg."

this BCA month, get involved with Total Beauty -- Total Cure

What's really hot in the month of October is getting involved in breast cancer awareness. From direct donations to "pink" purchases you'll find many ways to support the search for a cure. And a cure is so desperately needed because every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

For today's that's hot! thursday I am excited to tell you about the Total Beauty blog community's month-long initiative called Total Beauty -- Total Cure, which "integrates breast cancer awareness, fundraising to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Fund (BCRF) and beauty giveaways to engage women in the quest for the cure." Tammy, our friend over at A Mom in Red High Heels, is a member of the Total Beauty blog community and has filled me in on the details:

'Total Beauty - Total Cure' is dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of prevention and early detection, and arming women with the knowledge they need to take control of their health, bringing us one step closer to a world without breast cancer. Breast cancer information, screening guidelines, and links to available resources will be integrated throughout the campaign. And each participating blogger has pledged to raise funds for BCRF.

The Total Beauty blog community will engage its readership through daily giveaways (valued at more than $250) that require entrants to answer breast cancer trivia, making the contests both educational and fun. Giveaways will also be hosted on 'Total Beauty - Total Cure' pages on Facebook and MySpace; throughout the month of October, all visitors who become a 'friend' of the pages will be entered in a drawing to win a bounty of beauty products. Giveaway sponsors include Anastasia Beverly Hills, Benefit, Cargo, Clarisonic, Jurlique, L'Oreal Paris, NARS, Stila and Tarte.

Here is a wonderful 3-minute video from the campaign:



Breast cancer affects us all. Don't let another October go by without doing your part to support the search for a cure. Total Beauty --Total Cure is a great place to start.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~Kahlil Gibran

a blog just "for your entertainment"

When I watch the news, listen to the radio or keep up with national and world events online I rarely crack a smile. It's just too depressing. It kind of makes you want to relocate your entire family to a remote island in the Caribbean for a much needed reprieve from reality, but since that's not in the cards I'll settle for a daily dose of For Your Entertainment.

For Your Entertainment is a blog sure to make you crack a smile. If you're lucky you might even laugh out loud, something you won't do watching CNN. Whether bringing you the latest laughable interviews, amusing images or crazy political cartoons, the author provides his readers with some serious entertainment. Take a break from harsh reality and visit For Your Entertainment. It's a trip definitely worth taking this wonderful web wednesday. --Emily

(Photo by For Your Entertainment)

Amy Quarry giveaway from The Apronista!

Okay, so this isn't a totally unselfish post about a giveaway since I get a third entry by blogging about it on freshly baked, but do you see the apron? And can you blame me? I've since visited Amy Quarry's Etsy store and fallen in love with not only her aprons (love the Mellow Yellow and Grey) but her "toddler dresses and "warmies" as well. You'll want to browse Amy Quarry's entire line at Sustainable Style by Amy Quarry.

But before you do that, visit The Apronista and comment on her original post about the giveaway to win the Black, Red and White apron you see here. Good luck! --Emily

Gourmet Momma's drop a dress size dinners

When it comes to "taking it off," healthy eating is a very important part of the equation. Sure, cardio and resistance training play a major role but without a healthy low-fat diet you won't see the results you're looking for.

One of my favorite sites for diet-friendly meals is Gourmet Momma. This blog has a whole topic called "drop a dress size dinners" that features yummy, healthy meals sure to fill your empty stomach while satisfying your tastebuds. From Bean and Veggie Burritos to Moroccan Lamb Dinner, these recipes are short on calories and fat but long on taste. Who says eating healthy has to be tasteless and boring? You know, those rice cakes aren't all they're cracked up to be!

Gourmet Momma also has a whole topic for Light and Healthy Meals; now you have no excuse to plan tasty, healthy meals for your family all month long! --Emily

public speaking 101

This past Friday I attended the Startup Princess Touchpoint conference as both an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, motivation and networking and also as a speaker on the "Raising a Family While Running a Startup" panel. Though I can fake it pretty well, public speaking is not my forte. On the other hand my husband can get up in front of a group without notes he's typed word for word (that would be me).

If you have an upcoming opportunity to speak in front of a group and you feel a little overwhelmed check out NewspaperGirl's "Tips for Public Speaking," an article where Janet Meiners interviewed Jason Alba, CEO of Jibberjobber.com and summarized his points on public speaking. I love this post because it's short and sweet and the tips are easy enough to implement. My two favorites:

• "Never apologize for yourself. You are the expert (even if you don't think you are). ..." This is a good one for a lot of us to remember. I think we all too often--and I think I was even guilty of this on Friday--apologize for what we feel are our inadequacies. We need to give ourselves a little more credit!
• "... Give short answers." I found out on Friday that a panel is made up of a variety of personalities. If you choose to answer a question, make your answer short and to the point so others on the panel can offer their two cents. I'd like to add "make sure you actually answer the question." It could be my Type A personality but whether in an audience or on a panel I always get a little frustrated when someone's answer, complete with anecdotes, never really answers the original question. The test? You find yourself silently asking, "What was the question again?"

The full post is definitely worth a read. Not too long, not too short, just the right amount of info. You can read Tips for Public Speaking on NewspaperGirl's blog. --Emily

chicken & white bean soup

I'm sure by now you've figured out that Fitness magazine is one of my favorite reads. Today's recipe is one reason why. Rocco DiSpirito's Chicken & White Bean Soup With Spinach & Parmesan is super simple, sounds super yummy and is even super healthy. (I would have included a link but I couldn't find the recipe on Fitness' site.)

With the few rainy days we've had, cold weather will be here soon and soups are one of my favorite meals to serve. Try today's food for thought friday recipe accompanied with your favorite Caesar salad and focaccia bread. (I've included my favorite focaccia bread recipe below.) Soup's on!

Chicken & White Bean Soup With Spinach Parmesan
3 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cips plus 3 T tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
salt and pepper
6 ounces prewashed baby spinach
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
3/4 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth, pasta sauce, cannellini beans and crushed red pepper to a simmer. Turn heat to low. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to broth. Gently poach chicken, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. (The broth should barely simmer.) Stir in baby spinach. Continue cooking soup until spinach is wilted and chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated cheese.


Emily's Favorite Focaccia
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 T active dry yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 T vegetable oil
1 c water
2 T olive oil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 c mozzarella

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm. (Option: I do the dough part in my bread machine. Add the ingredients in the order listed by your machine and set on the dough cycle. It will rise longer than the recipe calls for but still turns out great! Follow the rest of the recipe to bake it.)

Worries go down better with soup. --Jewish Proverb

follow that blog!

We recently added a new feature to the right-hand side of our blog called friends & followers where our readers can can tell the blogging world they're fans of freshly baked! By clicking "follow this blog" your profile picture will be displayed on our blog with a link to your Blogger profile. Other visitors can view your profile to learn more about you and visit any blogs you write. If you'd rather not go public you can always follow anonymously, and that's okay too!

If you want to learn more about "following" blogs I suggest a quick read of "What is Following?" from Blogger's help section. As a fellow blogger you might want to add this fun little widget to your blog. To learn more about it check out "Show off your Followers" from Blogger Buzz.

We would love for you all to follow our blog so we can get a better idea of just who is reading freshly baked. We'll be doing some of our following as well! --Emily

Breezy Beach Wear closeout

My sister-in-law makes the most beautiful Hawaiian-themed hair clips and scrumptious-smelling soaps; they are definitely a great fit for a that's hot! thursday post. Unfortunately Breezy Beach Wear is taking a hiatus during this slow market and she is closing out most of her inventory. Here are the details as to what's on sale and what's in store for some of her other items:

Our apparel items (Tops, Hats & Neckties) will still be available at Zazzle at this link: http://www.zazzle.com/breezybeachwear. Plus, I can always design a custom Breezy Beach Wear shirt, hat or necktie for you; just send me an email with what you have in mind!

Our handmade bath bars and handcrafted silk flower hair clips will be available upon request via breezybeachwear@yahoo.com.

We have discounted all of our items (except the Zazzle apparel products) on our website to wholesale prices. Our items now range from $2.00-$50.00. Please visit our website at www.breezybeachwear.com. We will keep the site open for a few short weeks with these markdown prices. Our inexpensive items make fantastic Christmas gifts! And if you live in the Jacksonville area, I would be happy to bring by swimwear for you to try on. I can also deliver your items to save you the shipping costs.

Fortunately her other business, Breezy's Laughing Place, is doing well so if you or anyone you know would like a true expert and Disney lover to help plan your next Disney vacation, visit her site. I have seen some of these travel books she prepares for clients and they are amazing! You won't find a better, more affordable service anywhere. Bri bends over backwards to make sure your Disney vacation is unforgettable! --Emily

another personal struggle hits the virtual stage

Last week for wonderful web wednesday we posted about how countless online troops are rallying around Stephanie and Christian Nielson (Stephanie is the author of the popular blog the Nie Nie Dialogues), who were recently in a private plane crash that caused them to suffer severe burn damage over much of their bodies. In "the NieNie Dialogues--it's no longer virtual," we wrote about how with the help of the online community funds are being raised to help with medical bills and any other support this family of six may need. The virtual world can be a wonderful place.

And now the cry is being raised again for another mother struggling with medical issues that may cause her to lose her home. Lori Hall Steele is a single mother and freelance writer, publishing more than 3,000 articles and even copy-editing Michael Moore’s book Dude, Where’s My Country?. She is also battling ALS (Lou Gherig's disease) and will lose her home to foreclosure because she has been too sick to work. Her medical bills have reached the $50k mark and will probably hit well over $120k. As many freelancers know, good health insurance is costly and even the best doesn't cover all those bills.

You can help support Lori's by visiting Save Lori's House and donating directly to the cause. You can also read all about the latest fundraising efforts , recent publicity and updates on Lori's condition. Even if you've already donated to the Nie Nie Fund I bet if you look hard enough you can find some spare change in that ol' couch to donate to another woman in need. You may have only "met" Lori online but just like Stephanie Nielson, the virtual world becomes a very personal one when a cry for help is heard. --Emily

we love you, Bondville!

Sometimes it's a small, small world! A friend introduced me to Bandelle, which we posted about back in August (Bandelle -- jewelry that's all about you). Well, Bandelle's blog said "Thank you" to a few blogs that had recently featured the site and along with freshly baked, Bandelle mentioned Steph Bond from the blog Bondville. It all came full circle when this same friend sent us an email:

how did two bloggers that i know end up being promoted on another blog at the same time???

http://www.bandelle.com/blog/2008/08/15/thank-you

stephbond.com meet freshlybaked

:)

Yes, it's a small world with more than enough thank-you's to go around, as we now would like to send one to Stephanie Bond for loving our tees and then blogging about it on Bondville (Hip products: georgie tees). Though we don't currently ship to Australia we're willing to make an exception if any Australians fall in love with our shirts after reading Stephanie's post. ;) Thank you! --Emily