LeeAnn Sommers

Click here to listen to LeeAnn’s interview with Melissa Etheridge!

You guys hear me talk constantly about being a busy, nutty, crazy, insane working Mom. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come home from a 8-9-10 hour workday and think..what am I going to do for dinner tonight. MAMA is tired!!!

It’s time for all busy moms to take charge of the dinner hour. No more wondering what’s for dinner every night! No more take-out meals on a whim! Instead, moms around town should unite and get organized.  Check out this cool idea I discovered that I guarantee will change your life.

An awesome service founded by local mom, Dawn Billesbach, is helping moms across the county do just that!  Dawn founded MenuForTheWeek.com, a company that sends email subscribers a week’s worth of easy-to-make and delicious recipes so the meal planning is made easy. She also sends subscribers a complete grocery list too! Moms will know exactly what groceries to buy and what to make every night of the week. Ingenious!

To give you an idea of why I am such a big fan, Dawn has provided a free recipe for the Mom’s in the Mix blog. If you like this, you’ll love all her wonderful recipe ideas and easy-to-make meals - all which will surely please the entire family’s palate.

Also, you can sign up for a free week of meal ideas and grocery planning at www.MenuForTheWeek.com. Happy eating everyone!

Cashew Chicken (Makes 12 servings)
Active Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 mins

Rice:
8 cups rice - cooked (2 cups uncooked)
2/3 cup green onions - chopped
2 cups cashew nuts - chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Other:
6 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil - divided
2 tablespoons ginger
2 tablespoons garlic
2 cups snow peas
1 red bell pepper - chopped
1 onion - chopped

1) Cook rice. Stir in green onions, cashews, and salt.
2) Make sauce: combine chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, and 1tbs cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
3) Combine chicken, 1 T cornstarch, and 2 T soy sauce in a bowl tossing well to coat.
4) Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add meat; saute until browned. Remove from pan.
5) Add remaining 1 T oil to pan add 1 cup onion; saute 2 min. Stir in ginger and garlic; saute 30 sec. Add peas and bell
pepper to pan; saute 1 minute.
6) Stir in meat; saute 1 min. Add sauce to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.
7) Serve over cashew rice.

Family Tree serves children and adolescents who have been abused or neglected and are not safe in their homes; youth who are homeless on the streets or have run away from home.
Click here to learn more.  http://www.thefamilytree.org

Have you ever had your babies’ pictures airbrushed? What do you think about magazines doing so? Leave you’re comments below!

(Read the blog article here.)

We have a great contest going on - click here to get all the details! Your child can win a $1,000 CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Account!

Here’s some more info about CollegeInvest and saving for college…

· College tuition and expenses continue to rise year after year and Colorado families are faced with challenges in meeting these costs. CollegeInvest is the best resource for Coloradans by providing information and options in meeting these needs.

· CollegeInvest 529 college savings plans offer federal and state tax benefits that help these investments grow faster.

· Contributions by Colorado residents to their accounts are tax free at the state income level.

· Money saved through 529 college savings plans can be used nationwide at any eligible public or private college, university or vocational school for a variety of higher education expenses such as tuition, fees, certain room and board, and required supplies.

· CollegeInvest makes it easy to get started, you can open an account for as little as $25 and contribute to your account with as little as $15. CollegeInvest also provides for automatic deposits to a savings account.

· Get into the habit of saving or contributing to a savings account on a regular or monthly basis. Research confirms that those who save regularly tend to save more than those who do not.

Savings Tips from our Customers:

· Consider cutting back on one or two Starbuck lattes a week. $15 a week can potentially grow to nearly $12,000 over a 12 year period.

· When your child moves out diapers, simply transfer those dollars into a college savings account for the child and watch it grow.

· When your child moves from fulltime daycare to kindergarten, take the money you originally applied for their daycare expense to their college savings account. You’re already budgeting for it, and you’ll be surprised at how fast it adds up.

Reasons to Contact CollegeInvest:

· As a not-for-profit division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, CollegeInvest’s only goal is to help parents and students break down the financial barriers to an education beyond high school.

· A college education provides a strong return on your investment. On average, college graduates earn about a million dollars more over their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.

· Once you’re started with your child’s savings account, CollegeInvest also makes it easy for grandparents and other family members to contribute to a child’s account.

· CollegeInvest’s range of services extends from cradle to college and beyond, providing assistance at every step along the way. For 30 years, CollegeInvest has helped more than half a million families break down the financial barriers to college by providing expert information, simple planning tools, 529 college savings plans, scholarships, and matching grant programs.

Watch the premiere of the new video “Calm a Crying Baby” on October 6 here: Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »