Tag Archives: shopping

The Gallery: Orange

Posted on by Run DMT
3

PhotographyLiving in Florida, we rarely experience seasons which can make fall feel anything but autumn, especially when your Facebook friends and blogging buddies share lovely photos of leaves turning colors.  We do our best in these parts to experience fall, but takes a whole lot of pumpkin lattes to feel it.

To get the fall ball rolling, we decorate our house for Halloween after September 11.  With light up pumpkins and orange string bulbs, our house will begin to have an orange glow about it.  But it’s the fuzzy pumpkin throw pillows on the couch that steal the orange spotlight and make my children grin like jack-o-lanterns.

While thrift shopping for Halloween costumes last week, we stumbled upon a pumpkin pillow similar to ours.  For $2.07, my oldest daughter insisted I splurge on the pillow, because Jack looked like he needed some pumpkin friends.  Being the sucker for a bargain, we brought Jack home.  A quick toss into the dryer to kill the dust mites and Jack was as good as new.

Once he found a patch for himself on the couch, I do believe his grin grew a bit wider.

Apron’s Perfect Panko Chicken with Hummus and Zesty Honey Carrots

Posted on by Run DMT
10

PhotobucketEvery Sunday, my family and I time our trips to the supermarket just right.  We always manage to arrive at Publix during the Apron’s recipe demonstrations and we snack while we shop.

Although I always dive right in to taste each week’s dish, Iron Chef Allan usually turns his nose up at the food.  That was until I raved about Apron’s Perfect Panko Chicken with Hummus.  After some gentle prodding to try it, Allan tasted his first Apron’s recipe and he was pretty impressed with the perfect panko chicken.

Later that week, I prepared my own version of the Perfect Panko Chicken.  Rather than an egg wash, hummus binded the panko breading to the chicken breast.  However, I used a generous helping of my own homemade hummus instead of the store bought brand suggested in the Apron’s recipe.  I then followed the steps accordingly, but omitted the rice because I thought couscous would complement the chicken better.

A lightly breaded panko chicken breast served on generous pile of couscous with a drizzle of cilantro-lime hummus and some Zesty Honey Carrots on the side.

It really was perfection.

Run DMT’s  Slightly Modified Version of Apron’s Perfect Panko Chicken with Hummus

Ingredients

Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 lb)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of hummus
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Pound chicken breasts until ¼ thick.  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Generously coat both sides of chicken with hummus (about 1 tablespoon for each cutlet).  Drench the cutlets and do not remove excess hummus.  Dip chicken into panko, coating both sides.

Preheat canola oil in large sauté pan on medium heat.  Then add chicken and cook for 4 minutes each side or until 165°F.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup hummus with cilantro, lime juice, and water.  Drizzle sauce over chicken. Serve on a bed of couscous or rice.

 

Zesty Honey Carrots

Ingredients

1 (16-oz) bag dip chip cut carrots
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place carrots in microwave-safe dish and cover; microwave on HIGH 4–5 minutes or until tender. Drain any water in dish.

Whisk together in medium bowl, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper until blended. Stir carrots into sauce. Serve.

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

*Also submitted at*

I am a Food RENEGADE!Fat Camp Friday Button

Pitching Publix

Posted on by Run DMT
3

For this week’s Food Fight, I chose to pitch Publix because most of the food I feature during our weekly food fights can be found with one trip to Publix.

 

I love Publix.

 

It’s not just your run-of-the-mill supermarket.  It’s an experience.  After all, it’s “where shopping is a pleasure” and that’s no joke or some silly slogan Publix has been boasting for years.

 

The sales associates always happily offer assistance well before I  get that deer lost in headlights look.

 

The store managers apologize when items are not in stock.

 

Publix takes competitor‘s coupons and they stack coupons.  It’s beautiful frugal thing.

 

Cashiers greet me with smiles and they remember my children’s names.

 

Baggers cheerfully pack my groceries AND help me with my packages to my car.

 

And the bakery is simply the bomb.

 

While vacationing in North Carolina, I visited Ingles which would seriously give Publix a run for its money if they ever opened a location here.  Shopping at Ingles was quite a pleasurable experience, but it was no Publix.  Although the Ingles bakery was pretty darn close! I still dream about those delicious Ingles pistachio muffins. But I digress…

 

The best thing about Publix is that there is one in nearly every neighborhood, which is my criteria for moving to any new neighborhood: There has to be a Publix within ten minutes of my house.

 

Now you know the real reason as to why I could never move to the UK or North Carolina.

 

Oh and I would miss my family terribly too.

 

 

Link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 

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A Mother’s Day Made to Order

Posted on by Run DMT
6

With the lack of rain, it’s been really hot here lately and almost unbearable to do anything outside.  For Mother’s Day, I would have loved to have spent the day the beach, but I was afraid my DH would spontaneously combust make my day miserable again since he hates the heat.

 

I would have loved to have gone canoeing, but with swarming love bugs and the heat, I didn’t think anyone could tolerate that combination.

 

I love extravagant brunch buffets, but I didn’t want to deal with the Mother’s Day mob scene.

 

Theme parks are fun for Mother’s Day, but we’d have to deal with the whole sun and heat thing plus crowds.

 

So, what to do?

 

Of course, a pedicure was at the top of the list and I managed to sneak away for a spell to pamper my piggies.

 

But instead of a fancy Mother’s Day brunch buffet, I requested a sunset dinner at Hooters.  Can you blame a gal for loving their hot wings and ice cold beer? 

 

So Saturday evening, we invited some friends to join us and had a great time hanging out and watching the sunset over the Cotee River.

 

Hooters_NPR

 

Us at Hooters

 

Hang Loose

 

Sunset at Hooters

 

For breakfast on Mother’s Day, I requested one of Allan’s fabulous veggie omelets, which are better than any concocted at some fancy buffet omelet station and served with his delicious home fries and a side of bacon.  Following breakfast, Allan whipped up warm, sticky homemade cinnamon rolls and cafe con leche.  It was a breakfast fit for a queen!

 

Allan and the girls gave me the best presents, too!

 

Gift

 

Allana even wrote another poem for me.

 

I have a friend.

Her name is mom.

If I’m afraid, she’ll sing me a song.

I love her and she loves me.

She’s the best there could be.

My mom

My mom

My mom and me.

 

And to finish Mom’s special day, we visited the new Ikea in Tampa. 

 

IKEA

 

So, we beat the heat but didn’t avoid the crowds.  No matter!  I loved it all!  

 

I hope your day was all you wanted and more.

Officially Boycotting The Children’s Place

Posted on by Run DMT
7

no-tcpI really think I need to shop on-line more with all these unfortunate situations I seem to keep stumbling into when shopping at retail stores.

 

Maybe it’s just me, because these things only seem to happen to me…BUT, I wanted to go the The Children’s Place to buy my girls some flip-flops, which are staple footwear in Florida. Currently, they’re two for $5 (which is such an awesome deal) and I refuse to pay $8 and up for cheap, floppy footwear. I don’t care how many sequins they glue on them. Those bad boys will be buried in the sand and Emmalynn (my youngest) will be down to only one shoe before the end of May.

 

Anyway, I arrive at the Citrus Park Town Center well before mall hours on Sunday, because I forgot it opens later on Sunday.  Not to worry, the girls and I hang out at the padded play area before the stores open. The girls were having a good time and I was so happy they were minding the rules and Emmalynn stayed in the play area. It’s a great feeling to be past the days of barricading the entrance with my legs or trying to keep her from scaling over the wall as she attempts to escape.

 

Finally, the mall opens and we dart over to TCP. There’s an awesome sale going and everything is 50% off. But like a recovering retail junkie shopaholic, I avoided the red clearance signs and stuck to my flip-flop plan. It’s all about needs vs. wants right? I did some deep breathing and focused on the great wall of flip-flops. 

 

Of course, Allana chooses a pair at the very top, so I need the help of a sales assistance with her big hook tool to reach the precious. 

 

As I find someone to help me, Emmalynn climbs through the rounders while Allana spins other rounders. So much fun!  I ask them to stop and warn them that there will be no tea at Teavana if they don’t stop. (Yes, I bribe my children with free tea at Teavana. So what? Whatever works, man!) They stop, but move onto the spinning mirrors. 

 

Finally, an unwilling sales associate helps me, but Emmalynn is still spinning the rounders. Then, another sales associate scolds Emma to stop. At this point, I am so embarrassed. I ask the girls, “Do you think Mommy makes these rules up?”

 

After trying a variety of flip-flops and still able to fight off the fabulously marked down spring clothes, we’re ready to check-out. 

 

“I can help the next person”, shouts out the associate, who happens to be the same lady who helped me with the flip-flops. 

 

“Great! Thanks!” And I jump to it.

 
“Um yeah…the line is over there. You’re not next.”

 

“HUH? Where’s the line?”

 

“Over there.” And she points to a sign hidden in between the rounders to the left of the register. 

 

“Well, that’s so obvious.” I sarcastically remark. Might I remind you I had TWO pairs of flip-flops.

 

The next person in line is a gentleman who has a pile of clothes. So, I wait in the camouflaged line while children continue to destroy the store. As I wait, I realize I am not the only customer confused by the camouflaged line.

 

Now, I am fuming. Annoyed at my children for being monsters unruly. Pissed off that I had to beg for sales associates to help. Trust me. If I could use the flipping flip-flop fetcher tool hook myself, I would have. And so angry that I and other customers are repeatedly being treated rudely by sales associates. 

 

In this economy, they should be THRILLED to see customers shopping. They should be kissing my ass and thanking me for shopping in their store. They should be elated that their store is still open while others are closing due to the recession.

 

Yep, looks like I need to shop on-line more.  But first, I will send an e-mail to TCP regional and corporate offices about my not-so-pleasant shopping experience.

Almost Got Arrested in Wal-Mart

Posted on by Run DMT
6

After reading my Publix post from the other day, a friend reminded me about another incident at Wally World when I was asked to refrain from taking photos, which I had completely forgotten!  So, here’s a repost of a blast from the past off myspace blog from about two years ago.  Now, you know the real reason as to why I am a mom on the run. ;-)

 

Almost Got Arrested in Wal-Mart

Not really, but it’s a funny story! 

Some moms and I from my mommy group are planning an Easter party. This week, each mom was asked to shop around and get ideas for cheap chachkas for the goodie bags for the kiddies. Wal-Mart had a great selection of stuff, items in lots of 6 or 8 for $1. I had my digital camera with me, so I started snapping photos of some of the merchandise. What a great idea, right?  

 

WRONG!  With in seconds, my daughters and I were swarmed by Wal-Mart security and one of the gentlemen asks me, “Why are you taking photos in the store, Ma’am?” 

In a panicked voice, I reply, “I’m on an Easter Party Committee and I’m just getting ideas for some goodie bags to share with the other moms.” 

One of the security guys speaks into a walkie-talkie, “It’s o.k. She’s on an Easter party committee.” And then speaks to me, “I’m going to ask you to stop taking photos in the store.” 

“Please don’t confiscate my camera.” 

“I’m not going to take your camera. Just stop taking photos, Ma’am.” 

Speaking back into the walkie-talkie, “I asked her to stop.”

“O.k. I will”, I replied.  ”Boy! You guys work fast. I only got a couple photos anyway!” 

“Thank you, Ma’am. Just don’t take anymore photos and have a nice day!” He speaks into the walk-talkie, “We’re leaving now.” And then, they left. 

Emmalynn was screaming the entire time. Allana shouting, “MOMMY, I HAVE TO USE THE POTTY!” 

So, I guess I’m on some Wal-Mart watch list now. They probably zoomed in with their security cameras and took my photo. They probably thought I was planning some moms’ group heist. SAHM by day; Wal-Mart thief by night.

Black Friday or Bust!

Posted on by Run DMT
1

I apologize for my absence.  Once the tryptophan finally dissipated and I awoke from my foma (food coma), I spent the next few days in a self-induced shopping coma.

 

As much as I love shopping on Black Friday, I lacked the same enthusiasm in previous years.  This year, I only visited Wally World to score a $9 Kung Fu Panda and some $4 fleece pajamas.  I suppose I could have stayed in bed and slept off the trippy tryptophan feeling, but I love the excitement of Black Friday and the crowds.

 

Over the years, I have learned to stay clear of overly cheery Black Friday freaks fans.  These ladies wear their merriest holiday ensemble.  You will hear their jingle bells as they run you over with their cart to grab the last Wii bundle. 

 

This year, I spotted a herd of ladies dressed like Christmas cheerleaders.  They wore red holiday tees bedazzled with “Shine” in sparkly letters across the front.  They completed the look with shimmer red and green headbands that looked an elf exploded on their heads.  Although the outfits were a riot, I found their conversation even more comical.  In true Target Lady fashion, they made comments about every little item as they shopped.

 

“Well, isn’t this lovely?” 

 

“Have you ever seen anything so cute in your life?”

 

“And you can’t beat the price!”

 

This holiday version of the Target Lady made it worth getting up at 6:00 a.m. to shop.

 

 

In past years, I would find myself waking up at 3:30 a.m. to begin a marathon day of shopping.  Around 8:00 a.m., my girlfriends would make a pit stop at my house to refuel with a hot cooked breakfast prepared by my DH.  Then, my family and I would head out for round two of crazed crowds in shopping malls.

 

But this year, my DH needed to work on Black Friday and so my mall shlepping would be trimmed. 

 

After Wal-Mart, I continued my holiday spending spree with some on-line shopping.  That’s when I found my moment of Zen.  With no screaming, fighting or crying children begging me to buy every fuzzy and shiny object, I shopped at 6 different stores all at the same time.  My children happily played while I loaded my shopping carts.  It was fabulous. 

 

For this Black Friday, I saved my sanity as well as a few dollars.

 

But then, this morning on the news, I heard about a relatively new retail phenomenon: Cyber Monday.  WHAT?!  More rock bottom prices?!  Once again, I shopped till my eyelids dropped searching for bargains and all from the comfort of my ass home.  I have a new love. 

 

Move over, Black Friday!  Cyber Monday is serving up deals with no lines and no waiting!