One of my favorite blogs is Danicasdaily.com. She is young and cute, lives in California, and eats very healthy. She is an inspiration, and is always posting great recipes! And, now that Trader Joe’s has finally opened in Texas, I could not wait to try this recipe!

• 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• 1 1/4 cups Harvest Grain Blend (Trader Joe’s or Make Your Own!)
• 7 oz marinated artichokes, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chives, minced
• Big Dashes of Trader Joe’s21 Spice Salute, optional
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

In a medium soup pan bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add Harvest Grain Blend. Boil for 10 minutes or until the sauce is almost absorbed. The mixture may stick to the pan slightly and that is ok.

While the Harvest Grains Boil, prepare the ingredients above. Remove the cooked Harvest Grains from the heat and toss with the remaining ingredients (artichokes through black pepper).

May be serve warm or chilled.

Weight Watchers 4 Points Plus for 1/2 cup.

Today I am going to review the Sally Hansen No More Mistakes Manicure Clean-Up Pen. I never make mistakes when I use light polish, but my nails always seem to look like a first grader did them if I use dark polish. No offense to first graders. They probably could do a better job than me. I bought the Sally Hansen No More Mistakes Manicure Clean-Up Pen, thinking it would do a better job than my usual method, when I saw it in the store. Wrong. Don’t waste the money, even if it is just a few bucks.

Sometimes the old tried and true method works the best. I have a bag of these Orange Wood Cuticle Pusher sticks that have lasted me for years. Not only are they great for pushing back cuticles, but if you wrap a tiny amount of a cotton ball around the tip, and dip in fingernail polish remover, it does the job great. The above link is for 144 of the sticks for $6. I believe that’s enough for a lifetime supply for yourself and ten of your BFFs. Or you can pick up a smaller amount at the drugstore. Don’t forget the cotton balls.

I bet you didn’t think I could give a negative review, did you?

My sister just gave me this cute tote from thirtyonegifts.com. Have you heard of this company? I hadn’t, so let me fill you in.

The name Thirty One, is a reference to Proverbs 31, and the story of a virtuous woman. The company has consultants, much like Avon, Scentsy, etc. They carry all kind of handbags, totes, thermal totes, flat iron cases, backpacks, organization storage bags, utility bags, wallets, and much more. All of the bags can either be washed in the washing machine, or cleaned with a damp cloth.

Here are some of their products:

These are great to give for housewarming gifts, teacher gifts, birthday gifts, sport team gifts, gifts for coaches, tailgate party gifts, and also great to use as a gift bag filled with more fun stuff!

And you can personalize each bag with embroidery for a flat $7 charge, regardless of the number of letters. My sister evidently didn’t have an extra $7 to spend on me. LOL. You can search on the website for swatches of all the different fabric choices, along with thread color and fonts to choose from for embroidery.

Now for the specials. My consultant is Suzanne Melendez.  She advises that July specials are as follows: For every $31 you spend, you can choose a zipper pouch, a cinch it up thermal tote, a thermal tote, a littles tote, or a mini zippered pouch for only $5.  Also, the embroidery is only $5 in July.

August specials: For every $31 you spend, you a Spirit Collection Item for 50% off! Plus the embroidery is once again only $5 instead of $7.

If you have any questions about these great products or placing an order, please contact Suzanne Melendez at mytotes@yahoo.com.

One of my favorite poems is Invictus. Reading it always reminds me that I am in charge of my life. This ain’t no dress rehearsal. I once gave a necklace with the same Invictus quote to a young friend who was really at a crossroads. I always hoped it helped her realize that she needed to pick the right path.

I love this Master of My Fate Paperweight from Uncommon Goods for two reasons.  1) love the poem, and 2) it has an anchor on it. I learned years ago in Weight Watchers about anchoring. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an anchor, but the idea is to have something to create cues and triggers to remind you of your goals and the resources for achieving it. It doesn’t have to be strictly for weight watchers. For me, it’s an evil eye bracelet. Keeping evil away, so to speak. But, what better way to remind you of a goal than looking at a paperweight of an anchor on your desk? PLUS, it’s a great gift idea for either a man or woman, girl or boy.

And, just in case you don’t know the poem Invictus, or the story behind it, keep reading.

Invictus