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Five for Friday – what I’m reading now

My name is Deanna, and I am a reading junkie…

Thank goodness for kindle because my reading consumption would be nearing hoarding-level status without it. I am lucky that I have many talented friends who write fabulous books, and I am THANKFUL that so many cookbooks are now available as kindle books because as much as I love (LOVE) cookbooks, I am running out of room for them!! (ps – if I really LOVE the cookbook I usually do end up getting the actual book too)

Reading now:

The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster – Jen can make me laugh like few other people. This is Jen’s take on trying to emulate the queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart. Hilarity ensues. What makes it a great read for me is she is so descriptive you can almost imagine yourself sitting there, hearing these stories over coffee (or cocktails, your choice).

The Picky Palate by Jenny Flake – Another Jenny! This one has created some of our favorite new recipes, including my go-to Parmesan tilapia, maple-bacon muffins with sweet butter (yes, they ARE as good as they sound!), and Oven baked BBQ chicken…It’s become one of the first books I grab now when menu planning.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella – Pure unadulterated (but can’t-put-it-down!) fluff – but I loved this book so much. It’s one of those you WISH was going to be made into a movie but you know it would never match up to the one in your head. I kept picturing Sadie as Selena Gomez for some reason…I love all of Sophie Kinsella’s books, but this one is a favorite.

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon – Another great beach read. Kind of a grown up, married-with-kids Bridget Jones. Just not as scatter-brained. Huge twist at the end which made me gasp out loud. This was one of those books you hate to see end – and that you hope there will be more!

The Good Life for Less by Amy Allen Clark – Confession – Amy is a friend and I have followed her blog Mom Advice forEVER. I was so happy to see she was doing a book since so many great ideas and recipes I use now come from her site (best pizza crust ever btw!). Whether you are living paycheck to paycheck or just wish you had MORE saved away for a rainy day, Amy’s book will help you get it done!

This is just a few of my favorites right now – I just joined goodreads so I can share more and get more suggestions for books. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these or tell me what YOU’RE loving right now!

Favorite Pinterest tips

Etc...

Who isn’t in love with Pinterest? I admit I didn’t “get it” at first…but it didn’t take long. 51 boards and a few thousand pins later, I guess you could say I’m a junkie…It’s also an amazing way to drive traffic to your blog and help build your web presence. I have clients who have created AMAZING traffic for themselves using pinterest, and I’ve even seen a recipe of mine go viral when a friend created a Pinterest friendly post about it…

Create images with Pinterest in mind –
- Add text to your images (using Pic Monkey or other photo editing software)
- You can also add your URL!!
- Use natural light as much as possible
- Action images do better than static “product” shots
- Style your photos with accessories and props
Have a call to action on your blog
- Link to your Pinterest account in your sidebar.
- You can also add a pin button to every image.
- Place a call to action at the bottom of both your posts and feed entries.
- List 2-3 of your most pinned images on your sidebar.
Describe your image
- use the description function when you upload images.
- Whatever you place in the description of your image becomes the text of the pin as it is pinned – be as descriptive as possible!!
- Use Keywords
Make the best use of your Boards
- Use creative (but relevant!) titles.
- Have a wide variety.
- Use the private boards for…well, things you want to (or should!) keep private.
Don’t spam
- No one minds when you pin one of your posts, but when you’re pinning 10 things in a row from your blog, it’s too much.
- Try to pin (or re-pin) 10 things for every pin from your own content.
- Check for valid links in your pins – if I can’t check out a link right away I will “like” it instead.

I hope these ideas help you make the most of your Pinterest time – I’ll try to add more tips from time to time – I get so busy helping clients that I forget others could benefit from some of my knowledge too! I would love your feedback on what you would like to see – blogging tips, SEO, design dos and don’ts, photo tips…I would love to do a Q&A if there is any interest as well! I also have a lot of great pins on my blogging tips board on Pinterest

PS – don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest!!

Cheesy Chicken Mexican Dip

...the kitchen sink, Appetizers and Dips, Crockpot Goodness, Recipes

Happy day after Memorial day! It’s one of those holidays that just screams BBQ, grilling, fresh fruit and yummy dips…this is one of my family favorites. It’s a staple on game day in the fall, and a must have for picnics, potlucks and parties in the summer…did I mention easy? That too!

This is what you’ll need:

Chicken, cheese (I used cheddar jack), refried beans, salsa or canned tomatoes with peppers, and Mexican seasoning…

Place all the ingredients in a crock pot…

And cook for 2-3 hours on high, or 4-6 hours on low, stirring periodically until headset through…then serve with tortillas, chips and your favorite taco toppings! I serve it with dishes of chopped onions, chiles, Jalepenos, tomatoes, avocado…anything you like on tacos or burritos will be good with this!

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Cheesy Chicken Mexican Dip

Ingredients

2 cans of cooked white meat chicken (or about 1 1/2 pounds of cooked chicken tenders cooked and shredded)
1 large (30 oz)can of refried beans
1 jar of salsa (or 2 cans of rotel)
2 C of cheese
1 T taco seasoning (I used Rachel’s homemade taco seasoning)

Mix all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours until heated thoroughly. Serve with chips, tortillas, and taco fixings.
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The Big Traveling Potluck 2013

Adventures

Saying I was super excited to go to The Big Traveling Potluck is an understatement…going to meet some of my favorite food bloggers? Yes!

Eating fabulous food created and inspired by some of the best in their field? DUH!

Getting inspired about food blogging so I can use it here, share it with YOU and pass it on to some of my awesome clients?? Again – duh!!

To top it all off it was in driving distance, The Big Traveling Potluck was held in a beautiful part of California…this was a barn on the top of a hill overlooking a vineyard and avocado grove. It was gorgeous!

The speakers were wonderful and I was introduced to some incredibly talented and passionate bloggers…I wasn’t sure whether to think “ah, I give up, I’ll never be THIS dedicated” OR “OMG – I am SOOOOOOO inspired! I’ll post 74 times a week and photograph every meal and and and…” Well, you see how well that worked.

I am more inspired than discouraged 🙂

Thought for the day

Creativity