Let's put a pin in it!!

Hey Guys!!  Amber Here!!

Something that we want to try and do each month, is create something new to pin onto Pinterest.  This is our attempt to get some readers, but also to put out some great ideas that we have too!  So for my first "Let's put a pin in it" post- I am posting my Snyder's of Hanover Buffalo pretzel chicken!!  It is so simple, and SO good.  Here is a list of ingredients you will need:

*Chicken breast (This recipe can be created to fit the amount you need, so grab as little or as many as you need.  I used 2)

*Snyder's of Hanover Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel pieces

* Blue Cheese crumbles (if you don't like blue cheese, feel free to substitute this with feta or some other cheese, or you can always just nix it completely)

* 1 Egg white to coat the chicken breast

*String to tie the chicken breast together.

That's it!  Simple, right?! 

Now- preheat your oven to *350 and let's get started!

The first thing you need to do it get your chicken cut up and prepared however you like it.  I like to trim up the edges and get all those little white stringy pieces cut off.  If you don't care about it... then you are already one step ahead all of us.

Next thing you need to do is prepare the pretzels.  I always start with small hand fulls, and build up to it.  You want to find a way to really break up the pretzels.  I use a little blender.  I just throw about a cup in and let the blades do the chopping.  You can also put them in a Ziploc bag, wrap it in a towel, and use a rolling pin on it.

However you decide to do it, you want to make sure that you have the pieces broken down really well.  Sift through the crumbs and take out any big chunks that didn't get chopped up well enough.  Due to the oils on the pretzel pieces, they might stick together and form clumps.  Just simply  run your fingers through the mixture to break them up.  I dump them onto a plate after I have them all broken up.

Now let's put this plate aside and stuff the chicken breast.

Take a sharp knife, and slit into the side of the chicken breast about 1/2 way through.  Flip open the slit and stuff it with the blue cheese crumbles.  You may want to tie the breast with some string that has been soaked in water.  This will help to hold it all together and avoid a falling apart mess later on.  Once you have the breast tied and stuffed, it is time to bread it.

In a little bowl, mix the egg white, and then brush the chicken breast with it.  This will help to give the pretzel crumbs something to stick too.  Then take your chicken breast and roll it in the pretzel pieces.  Make sure to get enough coating on it.  Place the chicken breast into an oven-safe baking container.

Baking temperatures vary depending on how many you are making.  I baked two pieces at *350 for about 35-40 minutes.  It was so moist and flavorful!  An instant hit in our home.  I hope you all try it, and if so... PLEASE let us know what you think!

Bon Appetit!!

Amber's Pinteresting Point of View

So for this week point of view... we are eperimenting with a microwave cleaning technique.  Here is the link to the original post we followed:

How to clean your microwave with vinegar

And here is how it worked for me.

First off, here is a preview of what the inside of my microwave looked like before hand. 

Gross Right?!

So according to the original post, all I have to do is stick a bowl in the microwave with some water and let it steam up in there.  I set my microwave for 5 minutes and finished loading the dishwasher.  When I came back I was expecting to open the microwave and get a bunch of steam.  However, I did not see any.  I don't know if I had too much water, or maybe too little.  So I decided to set it for another 5 minutes and see if it just needed more time. 

I thought for sure this time around I would have more steam, but when I opened the door, there was still nothing.  I thought, "Oh well... let's see if it left some steam on the inside anyway."

I took my rag and went to wipe it out.  I didn't feel much moisture in the microwave, but I did see some of the stuff that was in there come off into my rag.  Without scrubbing anything, this is what I had leftover...

I ended up getting out the spic and span and cleaning out my fridge with household cleaners.  So for me, I didn't have the success I had hoped for.  But at least the experiment got me to clean out my microwave!

A Pinteresting Point of View!

Megan here...wow I have been slacking on my posting! To start off my apologies! Life has been a bit hectic. I have been doing a lot of work out...which as I type this I am extremely sore! I mean holy cheeseballs! Anyways...aside from being busy working out. I turned in my thesis and am 5 weeks away from being done with grad school!!! wooo hooooo!!!! I also got an A on it :) so I'm pretty stoked. I have been trying stuff from pinterest and documenting, which means I do have lots to share with you!

First off, that work out I posted has been kicking my butt. So if you are looking for a good work out, try it! Second off it has been a rough time in my house this weekend. I am a HUGE saints fan...and if you follow NFL at all. You know they lost...*sigh* Then my boyfriend...is a huge packers fan...which again, they lost. Tough, tough week.


Let's move on with my review of something from pinterest. Amber and I have decided to review once a month the same thing from pinterest and document our reviews. During this review I broke my camera, so for a while you are going to be getting iPhone pictures from me for blog post. Sorry! Amber and I decided to try the microwave cleaning technique that has been floating around on pinterest.

This technique is suppose to 'steam clean' your microwave. It requires a dirty microwave, a bowl of water, and vinegar or lemon juice.

So this is what my microwave looked like before I went out to clean it. Yea, it was bad.

I used a bowl this size, with this amount of water:

On pinterest it calls for vinegar, however comments said you could use lemon juice. This step was to give a clean fragrance when done. I used lemon juice, and a lot of it, hence the cloudy water.

Then I popped it in the microwave for 10 minutes.

I came back and this is what the microwave looked like:

 

Now yes...I haven't attempted to wipe it down yet. I just want you to know that when you first open the microwave, don't expect the dirtiness to be gone. One thing with my microwave is I noticed it didn't really steam up during the ten minutes.

Finally when I did take a cloth to it to wipe it down this is what the result was:

Here is my final review. My pictures really don't do this justice, but really it didn't clean it much. I tried to scrub really hard to get some of the stains out and in the end, ended up getting my cleaner out to finish the job. It did get some 'light' stains out, but that was really about it. The other thing I noticed in addition to the microwave not seeming to really have been steamed up was the lack of any type of smell. Now I used a LOT of lemon juice and I was a little stuffed up so yes this could have been part of the reason. Maybe vinegar would work better to?

Overall- I won't be using this again. It just didn't work, and in the end I still needed my cleaner. I am all up for green alternatives so if you have one please share. Also please give this a try. I do realize every ones microwave is different, perhaps I should have tried it longer?! Maybe 10 minutes on yours will work perfect. For me not so much.

Megan :)

A Pinteresting Point of View

Hi readers!  We just wanted to let you know, that each month we will have different posts that both of us will be doing, aside from our personal posts.  The first one we will be doing is call Pinteresting Point of View.  We will both take the same thing from Pinterest, and try it out.  It could be a recipe, project, cleaning technique or workout.  We will each try it out, take pictures, and blog about how it worked for us.  So be on the lookout for that!

Work-out Update!

Hello there folks, Amber here!!  I wanted to give you guys a mid-week update on the workout plan I chose.  I found on pinterest a set or exercises to do each day of the week, Monday-Friday. So far I have done the first two days, and I am looking forward to Wednesdays.  So here they are, and a little of what I discovered with the workouts.

I loved this one!  It is simple but effective.  It took me maybe 40 minutes to complete and I could tell that I had a mini workout.  It doesn't look like it is hard, and it really isn't.  It is however a start to a daily workout routine you can do in your home.  For my cardio, I played my XBox Kinect game, Dance Central 2.  It is a great and fun way to get some cardio going.  My daughter likes to dance right along side me... so it makes it more fun.

For this day, I had to make adjustments to my 40 reverse curls.  I have lower back problems, and so lying on my back and trying to lift up creates too much pain for me.  So instead of the reverse curls, I did leg lifts.  I remained lying on my back and lifted each leg one at a time into the air to a 90 degree angle, and then lowered it just inches above the ground.  I did 25 on each leg. 

Here is a look at Tuesday's workout plan...

For this day I did the Dance Central again for my cardio.  Everything else I was able to do just fine.  If you don't have any weights around your house, then go into your pantry and find a can of soup or vegetables.  Something that is even though.  It may not weigh 5 pounds, but it will work until you get something else in the house.  This is another great, simple and effective workout.  I didn't think it was doing anything, and then I picked up my daughter and my arms were sore.

Here is what I have to do tonight.  I will report on Saturday how the rest of the week goes!  Let me know if you try it, and what you think!

It's a New Year- Let's start it off right!

Happy New Year's!

Hello there!!  It's Amber!!  Hopefully you have already read Megan's first post... if not, be sure to read it, as it gives an insight into what we are doing here.  We have so many exciting ideas for this blog, and we can't wait to share them with you all.  For my first post... I just want to introduce myself and share my goals for the next year.


I am 28 years old, a military wife and a mother of a toddler.  I work full time at a CPA office, so you can imagine that my life is a tad busy from January to April.  I am also working on going to school.  I was never serious about school when I graduated high school 10 years ago... but now that I have a daughter, I feel like I need to set an example for her.  So I am starting now... better late than never, right?  We are currently stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM, with no plans to go anywhere soon.  That could change, and I am hoping it does, at any time.  I am originally from Sumner, Washington... but I have lived in Nebraska, Louisiana, and New Mexico as well.  My husband is from Georgia... so I guess I am getting cultural experiences from all over the United States.  Here is a little preview of my family...

As I mentioned, I want to share my goals for this coming year.  I guess they can be resolutions... but I like goals better.  Using the theme of our blog... Pinterest... I am going to have you, our readers, and my best friend Megan, be there to keep me accountable.  I decided to pick 5 goals for 2012.  So here they are...


1) I want to continue working on getting healthy.  My husband and I started dieting together October 28, 2011.  Since then we have both already lost 20 pounds each.  It has been amazing to have him supporting me and eating healthy with me at the same time.  It makes a world of difference to have a buddy in the process.  I have been mainly focusing on the food part, but I need to work on the exercise part of it.  My extreme goal is to lose 10 pounds a month for the next 6 months.  After that I will be at a comfortable weight and it will be easier to maintain.  Putting this out here makes me so vulnerable... but I have to accept reality, and if I want to be there for my kid, then I need to be healthy and happy.  Plus... we have a cruise at the end of April... so lets get ready for some beach lounging.


2) I want to get better about going to church.  I really love the church we have found here, but I am terrible about getting up and going.  My husband and I both agree that we need to get better about going... so the last 2 weeks we have gone.  I already feel better about going, and I am excited for my daughter to grow up in Sunday school.  I am not sure how pinterest will help with this... but that's ok.


3) I want to make a new meal every week.  We are boring and we stick to the same things each week.  Pinterest has so many incredible recipes, that I think I can find something new for 52 weeks!  I plan to post each item that I try, and let you guys know how it goes.  This could contradict Goal number one though...


4) Do more projects with my daughter.  I already have a board started with projects that I want to try... and I am hoping to do at least one a month with her.  We live a busy life... but I need to take the time to do something special with my daughter.  She is my whole world, and I want her to remember all the fun things we do together.


5) And finally- I want to be more girly.  I am very much a tomboy.  On the weekends I wear sweats and t-shirts, and I throw my hair in a ponytail.  I hardly ever wear make up, even to work.  Using pinterest, I can learn make-up techniques, hair tricks, and maybe work on developing a fashion sense.  I usually don't care about it, because I have never felt good enough about myself.  But with all the other changes I am making in my life, this is an opportunity to work on that.


So those are my goals.  I am very excited to work on them, and to use this blog.  I love to write, and writing about Pinterest will be even more fun.  I hope you guys enjoy reading what Megan and I have to say.  Please feel free to contact us at any time with questions or comments.  We would love to hear from you!!

Amber's Pinteresting Life- Please follow me!

A New Year- A New You!

Hello!!!

 Megan here. We did it! We made it to 2012! I am always sad to see a year pass because it just makes me more aware of how fast time flies. On the flip side though I am always excited to see what a new year or a fresh start will bring me!

With that being said a new year brings me here...to this blog! My best friend Amber is the co-blogger and we have been talking about doing this for a while. Not too long ago we both got hooked on pinterest. As our fixation on pinterest grew, we quickly discovered it would become a topic of conversation. 'Oh, did you see what I pinned?' 'I tried this on pinterest last night..' and so forth. Amber and I have been friends for a little over 5 years now. She is married to a wonderful man who is in the military, which has moved her away from me. We thought this blog would be a great thing to do together. Give us a chance to share our experiences and reviews from pinterest but also to provide new, fun ideas that can be pinned as well. It is also a great way for us to stay connected, even though we are not physically close together. With that being said we decided each month we will have a theme and do a post on that theme, this month's theme being a new year, a new you. I want to share with you what my New Year resolutions are, and some ideas I have to keep them or achieve them.

I normally don't do resolutions because I have a hard time keeping them. I have been in school for about five years straight, going straight from my undergraduate to my graduate degree. I will finish my master's degree on February 15! Woo-hoo so close. With my time freeing up I want to set some resolutions and accomplish them. I am 5'0 and what I would describe as curvy. I have never weighed much though. In the past two years though I started to put on weight and knew it. I felt uncomfortable and had to go up in sizes in clothes. Being so short I also felt that I carried my weight more prominently. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw a Halloween picture in 2010 of me and knew something needed to be done. In the beginning of 2011 I started running and doing boot camp. I ended up losing 10 pounds last year and completed two half-marathons along with numerous bike rides and other 5k races. It felt great; however, I seem to have plateaued at my current weight. I now weigh 123-125. I fluctuate between that, and can't seem to get any lower. Ideally I would like to 115, with how I am built, this is where I would feel comfortable weighing. That being said, that is one of my resolutions. My plan of attack is to kick up my running as I would like to get my running mileage at 10 minutes a mile and to do various workout plans I have found on pinterest.

The workout below is one I will incorporate with running. I plan on working out 5 times a week. Running three and a boot camp type work out two times a week. It is really important to remember to try to do different work outs. Towards the end of 2011 I was really just running and not doing boot camp, I think this may be why I plateaued as well. The work out below is one a co-worker and I have been doing randomly through December. We notice a diffierence in our muscles the day after. It is a GOOD work out. We try to repeat this two times. In addition we do the first three sets of exercises, and then we do some form of cardio. Sprinting back and forth, crab walks, high knees, butt kicks etc. It gets the heart rate going a bit faster. Go at the pace YOU are comfortable pushing yourself too. You don't need to incorporate cardio either. We plan on doing this for a month to a month and a half then switching so our body does not get use to it.

My other two goals....not so much resolutions are to do RAGBRAI and to learn how to swim.

RAGBRAI is a HUGE bike ride across Iowa and this year is the 40th anniversary. I have signed up with a team and need to train for it. However, it is a lottery drawing so it is not guaranteed we will get in. I will dedicate a post just to this because I could go on forever about RAGBRAI. Biking is a passion of mine though so this is a goal I look forward to accomplishing this in 2012.

In addition, I want to do a triathlon. I have not signed up for one yet though. A triathlon is biking, running, and swimming. I can bike and run however, I can really only doggy paddle. I am HORRIBLE at swimming and I refuse to sign up for a tri. until I know I can for sure swim. The last thing I want to do is get in deep water and start to struggle. My plan of attack for this? Adult swimming lessons. Please give me good vibes that this works as I REALLLLLLLLLLY want to do a tri! Do you have tips on how I can become a better swimmer? I like input and look forward to it!

What are your resolutions or goals for 2012? What is your plan of attack to make them a reality? Please share!! Wishing you and your family a happy 2012!

<3 Megan

Feel free to follow me on pinterest:

Megan's Pinteresting Life