Starbucks has a pretty cool app that can do some amazingly awesome things, like let you order your food and drink, skip the line and go. I've noticed the stores have recently been pushing the app (by giving you extra "stars" or a free drink by signing up.) I was in Target over the weekend and gave it a whirl. It's ahh-mazing. First, here are all things you get with the app - free refills on certain drinks, ordering through the app, birthday surprises and rewards. They had me at free refills. I asked someone at the East Wash store how long they've been allowing orders through the app and she said only a couple of months. If you get 300 stars, you receive gold status but until then, the majority of the best perks are available for everyone. Also, on a side note, the app has great customer service. I wrote them because I didn't get credited for promotional stars and they took care of it within an hour. It seems like such a first world problem but I really appreciated the great care in customer service. How to use the app:
Bottom line: I love the app. In less than a week, it has made me more excited to get coffee. If I'm going to spend my money at Starbucks anyway, I might as well maximize the perks available!
Also, I still love and frequent local coffee shops and businesses (Just to name a few in Madison: Barriques, Moka, Johnson Public House, Cadence Cold Brew, A OK) but Starbucks
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This costs nothing and makes the world of difference! If you're into Pinterest, you've probably seen this before but I'm telling you... it's worth making the change. Now I can see all my t-shirts at once and I can even fit more inside! I was folding like I normally do and then folding it one more time. I really want to be like Alejandra Costello -- have you seen her? She is a professional organizer who's also a YouTube star! Memorial Day is more than just another 3-day weekend. I love taking a moment to honor our veterans and think about how grateful I am to be a naturalized American citizen. Though I had the day off, I felt compelled to get dressed (and wear makeup!) and go to the ceremony on the square. In full disclosure, I wanted to hear Michelle Carolla sing because I've been saying it for 3 years! She was great! And I got to see my co-workers hard at work, too. Jessica Arp and Kathy King were out shooting a lot today. I tweeted that Jess and Michelle were my Memorial Day baes. Anyway, make sure you thank a veteran or take some time to reflect on the day. And, if you can... eat a brat for me, too. I didn't grill out this year but my neighbor's food smelled awesome. :)
Watching this old tape makes me giggle... I guess I was not a fan of Abercrombie! I loved working (for free) at KMBC 9 in Kansas City. Max Utsler, an associate professor at KU, helped me land an internship after encouraging me to intern overnights. He said it would make me look like a young, dedicated journalist plus I'd actually be able to get experience other than opening the main anchor's mail.
Once a week I started my shift at 11 p.m. and helped write for the morning show. On another day, I'd come in at 1:30 p.m. and work the evening shift. Most of the time I'd go out with then-weekend anchor Jeremy Hubbard, who's now the main anchor at KDVR in Denver. You may recognize his work as the former co-anchor for ABC's World News Now. Anyway, I've been saving this story for about 15 years now, so I finally got it off the VHS and into the digital world. Enjoy it! I wonder what people would say about Abercrombie's catalogs today -- racy in this day and age? I bet not. I love calamari. LOVE IT. Recently I learned a secret to making great calamari, thanks to Rocky over at SOHO. Have you been there? It's one of our favorites at News 3! WATCH Sip and Savor: SOHO Rocky gets his calamari frozen -- I can't think of a restaurant that doesn't. I'd be a little more aware of who's getting it frozen AND breaded. Rocky makes his own breading. You might think it would take flour. WRONG. Chinese cooking often involves cornstarch. That is the secret! Cornstarch! Rocky says cut the squid a little thick so it doesn't dry out when cooked. Anyway, from there... it goes a little like this - add an egg, put in some cornstarch, add salt, white pepper, five spice and fry.
After that, Rocky takes the fried calamari and stir-fries it with peppers and onions plus he squeezes out a lime wedge over the top. I don't have measurements because I don't cook with measurements at home. But this is going to be the next thing I make! It is so delicious and it is honestly the way it's done at SOHO is better than most. I love it and so do all of my co-workers! Just sending some warm and fuzzies for today. If you're ever bored, you can see more warm and fuzzies on Instagram or just by using #MinnieAndPiper. <3 Is it weird that I like smelling their little ears? To me, they remind me of the smell of puppies. I don't know if that makes me a weirdo or if it makes me a loving doggy mommy. Don't way weirdo, don't say weirdo, don't say weirdo.
I love painting furniture. I know some wood purists would like to kill me now but I do leave a lot of wood alone. I don't paint everything... however, I do go looking for pieces that deserve a good coat of paint. They are typically thrift store finds, lightweight and a little beat up. A couple of years ago, I found a vanity for $75 on Craigslist. It could probably use a brand new mirror but the drawers are so cool inside, built with little trays and separators. I used light gray vintage paint and then put a clear coat of Annie Sloan wax on it. Then a few months ago, I found a bench at the Salvation Army for about $12. I actually thought it was expensive but I thought a bench would go better than the chair I had been using. I found a little bit of fabric at Jo-Ann's (though, I will likely change the pattern again because I already spilled makeup on it.) I like the light gray look - if you look closely, you can see I sanded it down to give it an aged look. I will likely change the color to something more funky but for now, I like the light and airy look. I wish I had before and after pics-- sorry there's no payoff here. I just wanted to post it because I think it is always fun to see that old furniture can get a second or third life. I hate seeing good pieces being thrown away simply because they're ugly. Like, I truly feel sorry for the tree that died to bring us a bench that people just toss out. Anyway, I love it for now!
When we bought our little blue house on Madison's east side, we were in a much different situation. Jim was going to school full-time, I was in my first contract at WISC and we were concerned about making it all work. Somehow it did. Not only did it work but we fell in love with our home, we became true East siders and we loved our neighbors. Of course, my only regret is that we didn't spend enough time enjoying our home. We'll have to work on that for the next one. My tastesbuds are so happy right now thanks to morel mushroom season! Thankfully, I have a pal in Bistro 101's Mark Valaskey. He and I bonded after I had the chance to feature him in Madison Magazine's Sip and Savor. I think it's because we had the same camo phone case... but I digress. Anyway, Mark promised to take me mushroom hunting this season but when he called I couldn't make it! However, I'm so glad he took Susan Siman -- she had never eaten a morel! She did an awesome story with him on Live at 4. They found a treasure trove of morels!! Mark was so kind to send morels to me! Susan brought them into the newsroom and I squealed! I am not kidding when I say I love them. My dad used to go morel hunting every year when I was a kid and I always looked forward to my mom rolling them in flour and putting them in the frying pan. Mark says he'll be serving morels as an appetizer at Bistro 101 until they're all gone. In the meantime, you can also catch morels at the Muscoda mushroom festival! That is happening May 14th - 15th. With the morels Mark gave me, I made a creamy morel linguine for my husband Jim. Click through the slideshow to see the recipe! You may not be thinking about a diet for your brain, but Consumer Reports has been studying the issue and says there are 8 power foods that could reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Consumer Reports says MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It limits red meat, butter and stick margarine, pastries and sweets, fried and fast food and cheese. 8 power foods: Vegetables/Leafy greens - eat at least one cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked greens Nuts - eat at least five 1-ounce servings per week Berries - eat at least one cup twice a week Beans - eat at least 1/2 cup cooked, four times a week Fish/poultry - eat at least 3 ounces of fish and 6 ounces of poultry each week (not fried) Olive oil - daily Whole grains - eat at least 1/2 cup cooked grains or slice of whole grain bread 3 times a day (quinoa, whole grains, bulgur) Wine - one glass a day Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal, topped with blueberries and 2 T chopped walnuts Coffee with milk no sugar Snack: 1 apple and 1 ounce almonds Lunch: A salad of 3 cups of baby spinach with 1/4 cup each of chopped cucumber, tomato and bell pepper, 1/4 cup quinoa, 1/3 cup chickpeas, 3 ounces chicken, 2 T EVOO and 1 T vinegar Dinner: Grilled tilapila with olive oil and lemon, 1/2 cup of farro, 1 cup of string beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil, one glass of pinot noir Dessert: 1 cup sliced strawberries drizzed with balsamic vinegar |
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