I just poached my first chicken! It’s so easy…I’ll be doing this from now on when I want to add chicken to my salad. I was inspired by this recipe. I didn’t have sake…or even salt and pepper (I’m not home) so all I used was a boneless chicken breast and water. It still came out tasty and super moist! To sum it up here’s the easiest way to poach a chicken:

1. Fill a pot/pan with enough water to cover the chicken
2. Heat it up until it starts to boil
3. Flip the chicken, take pot off the heat, and cover with a tight fitting lid and leave for 15 minutes.
4. Check to make sure it’s cooked, if not let sit for longer.
5. Shred and eat or store chicken in its liquid in the fridge for up to 3 days!

So what am I going to do with my chicken? Make this yummy copycat recipe for Panera’s Poppyseed Salad

I can’t wait to eat this for lunch tomorrow!!

Looking for a cheap red wine? Well according to Slashfood (and even The Times), Recession Red is supposed to be good and inexpensive. It’s only $3.99!

The wine’s label says “Times are tough. Toast the simple pleasures.” How fitting, right?

Someone try it and tell me how it is!

Today I was stuck all day on an airplane. I’m reallllllllly tired.

Just wanted to make a quick note that I finally saw Twilight and I’m glad everyone told me how bad the movie was. I went in thinking it was going to be the worst thing ever! You can’t really get disappointed if your expectations were as low as mine. I actually thought it was an entertaining movie!

Anyways, for all you twihards a few links:

This review of the series by NakedSushi is sooo deadon. I was reading it and thinking yes! this is exactly how I feel!

And here’s a twilight merchandise link. There’s some really creative ones in there…

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade got rickrolled!!

How many people do you think watching even knew what was going on??? hehe

Seriously this is one of the most awesome holidays ever. A holiday centered around eating??? YUM.

And then shopping after? YES! Happy thanksgiving everyone…let’s stuff our faces.

I will be taking the rest of the week off so no friday links this week. See you on Monday!

I leave you with this…thanksgiving dinner on a cupcake!

I started reading this new blog recently called I Will Teach You How To Be Rich. Every day he posts a way to save a small amount of money. Over time, all of this money you’ve saved should start to add up. Most of the things he posts about I already do/know but I thought his latest post on car insurance was really helpful since this is one of those areas that I feel like I don’t know much about.

His tips include knowing what kind of coverage you need, providing phone numbers for all of the major car insurance companies so you can shop around for prices, and including a list of questions to ask. All of this info is super helpful and will be sure to save you some money on your car insurance! Check out the rest of his blog if you’re looking for other ways to save money as well.

I’ve been searching for a nice and easy recipe for a Thanksgiving potluck. Something that keeps well during transport and won’t need to be reheated once it’s reached its destination. I present to you….

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Nut Bread – recipe by Joyful Abode

Doesn’t this look super yummy? And it doesn’t seem too hard…just mix some ingredients and pop in the oven! I was seriously salivating while reading the recipe! I just love pumpkin desserts during this time of year.

This was a super tiring weekend. I don’t really remember much of saturday but yesterday was spent all day at a friend’s wedding. It started out with a tea ceremony at 10:30am and continued onto a regular church ceremony and then a reception…all on a Sunday!

Anyways, I’m pooped. Getting dressed up and wearing heels all day does not suit me at all.

6 most amazing street performers – These beat out any of those 3rd street performers hehe
Movie Review Drawings – very creative!
Scale model of Scrooge’s Money Bin – this is pretty crazy/cool
Youngest food critic – this is such a cute story. I wonder if he’s going to grow up to be some famous food critic
Cloverfield Google Maps overlay – if you’re a fan of Cloverfield this is pretty neat
The latest improv everywhere – it’s hilarious….they pretend to welcome random strangers at the airport
27 popular websites that became books – it’s pretty cool how successful these websites got. I’m jealous!

Time for another random tips post!

Avoid wooden hangers as they can react with the fabric over time. Use plastic or wire instead.

Secure a button after you have sewn it on by a drop of superglue or nail polish

Don’t shop on the first few days of a month as some stores raise the prices when people get their social security checks or food stamps. (That’s kind of messed up isn’t it??)

If you have an empty freezer, fill it up with jugs of water…it will use less energy to keep it cold!

Unclog your toilet with a few drops of liquid dish detergent.

Put your wet swimming suit in a gallon ziploc bag with 1/4C baking soda to keep it from getting smelly before you have time to do laundry.

Clean off crayon drawings on your wall with some WD40!

If you need to pick up broken glass, use a dry cotton ball.

If you have problems with your slip clinging to your dress, try pinning a small safety pin to your slip.

Use non-stick cooking spray on the walls of your freezer to make it easier to defrost. This should be done right after your next defrosting!

Place a bath towel in with your wet clothes to speed up drying time.