New Year's Coming!

And all is well! I hope all is well with everyone!

We had a lovely Christmas -- we all went out and about yesterday -- came home and crashed! :)

I have some neat giveaways coming soon: Lara Bar, Pirate Booty, and more! Stay tuned!

I'm preparing myself for an *end-of-the-year* review. I've accomplished much this year. I'm proud of myself! Now, I just need to sit down and really think about it all and what it all means to me.

2010 will hold so many changes as well. I hope to be at least 50 pounds closer to my goal -- if not reach it. We'll be moving in the summer (if all goes according to plan -- LOL!). My daughter will graduate HS and move on to University. She'll be 18 in August... and I'll be 50 in October.

If I blink -- the year will fly by.

So, here's hoping the New year brings you happiness, joy, and love. I hope that we all stay safe.

See ya soon,

Terri

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO!

And it came to pass in those days,
that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them,
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not. For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.

OIKOS GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Congratulations to Kim R.! She won the Stonyfield / Oikos Yogurt coupons and re-usable tote!

I've got even more giveaways coming soon.

Yes, I'm still experiencing lingering after-effects from the flu and bronchitis. No exercise, per doctor's orders, for another week.

I think I've gained about 4 pounds, too.

Hopefully, I'll be back on the right track soon.

Take care, y'all!

OIKOS YOGURT: Review and Giveaway!

Stonyfield Farm's OIKOS Greek yogurt is an amazing yogurt. It's made from the freshest ingredients and you can taste the love and dedication that goes into making it.

I just recently tried (and became hooked) on OIKOS Greek Yogurt. The flavour is crisp -- not too sweet like some yogurts and has a neat hint of sharpness. It's very satisfying. I admit, the blueberry is my favourite. Stirring the fruit throughout the yogurt turns it a lovely shade of bluish-purple. The fruit is tart and creamy. Oh, Yum!

OIKOS Greek Yogurt is very different from the regular cultured yogurt we're used to eating. It has an incredibly rich, creamy texture with about twice the protein of regular yogurt, less lactose, and fewer carbs. It's filling and lasts a long time!

From the website: "We make our authentic Greek yogurt with a centuries-old straining method that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt. Called yiaourti in Greece, Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and its production requires about three times the milk used to make regular yogurt.

We use fresh, delicious organic milk from family farms. Our organic fruits are hand-picked for the highest quality and prepared the same day to retain the freshest flavor. And we use five live active cultures: S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. casei."

OIKOS comes in five delicious flavours: Plain, Strawberry, Vanilla, Honey, and Blueberry. It's available in 5.3 oz. cups and also in 4 oz. 4-packs!

The wonderful folks at Stonyfield have generously offered one of my readers a chance to sample OIKOS by giving away an Oikos tote, 1 free 16 oz. coupon and 4 free 5.3 oz coupons.

To enter for a chance to win this re-usable tote and the free coupons, just leave a comment here telling me why you want to try OIKOS, for extra entries, follow
1. OIKOS on Facebook
2. Stonyfield Farms on Facebook
3. Twitter
4. Post about this contest on your blog!

Be sure to leave a comment for each entry!

The contest is open until Monday night and I'll draw a winner on Tuesday! Good luck!

*** OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY, PLEASE! ***

MINUTE RICE GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

*Drumroll please!*

The winners of my Minute Brown Rice Giveaway are:

Yum Yucky & The Meanie!

Will be emailing you, ladies!

Thanks to everyone who participated -- I'll be hold a new giveaway next week!

Terri

Brown Rice Junkie (A MINUTE RICE GIVEAWAY!)

Thanks to the wonderful folks at the Minute Rice Company -- I've become a Brown Rice junkie. :0


Not a bad thing!

I had been reluctant to try Brown Rice. For some reason, I didn't think I'd like it. But I found the Ready-To-Serve at my grocery store and decided to give it a try.

Oh. Oh, my.

What a wonderful flavour. It was rich... nutty... almost creamy in it's texture and mouth-feel. Hooked. I'm absolutely hooked.

One of the very best things about Minute Brown Rice, aside from the deliciousness, is the 10 minute cooking time! No waiting 30 minutes for the rice -- just 10 minutes to a perfect dish! Love it!

Brown Rice is amazing. It is an excellent source of Whole Grain, has a low glycemic index, and is a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbs fuel your body and gives you the energy to keep going longer!

From the website:
"A whole grain is all of the parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. Whole grains are powerhouses of nutrients and fiber, and even when the grain is processed, such as when its ground, extruded or cooked, it delivers nearly the same powerful punch as that of the original grain. Researchers are continuing to unlock the importance of whole grain’s vital role in helping to protect the body from cancer and heart disease."

The Ready-To-Serve packs are wonderful, both as stand-alone lunches or as a quick addition to any meal. Just pop the serving cup into the microwave for 1 minute and it's done! Piping hot and delicious!

Recipes utilizing Brown Rice are endless. Just this week, I've used my samples in three dishes! Of course, I also ate a cup of the Ready-To-Serve Brown Rice by itself as mid-afternoon snack to tide me over until dinner. Yummy!

The Ready-to-Serve package contains 1 cup of Brown Rice. 230 calories (only 40 from fat!), 140 g potassium, 2 g fiber, and 5g protein! Very healthy! Very low sodium, too, with only 150 mg per serving.

The Minute Rice folks would love for you to try their Rice products and have generously donated some wonderful sample packs for me to share with you.

Two Lucky winners will receive three boxes of Regular Brown Rice and two packages of the Ready-To-Serve Brown Rice!

Here are a few ways to enter for your chance to win!

1. Visit the Minute Rice Website and come back and leave a comment telling me how many Ready-To-Serve products are offered.

2. Leave a comment with your favourite rice-based recipe.

3. Follow Minute Rice on FACEBOOK

4. Follow Minute Rice on Twitter -- Minute_Rice

5. TWEET this post

6. Link this post back to your blog

7. Post a link to this contest on your Facebook Page!

Leave a comment for me when you follow Minute Rice on Facebook / Twitter and when you link back to your blog!

CONTEST CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 7th!

You'll receive your sample package just in time for planning your Holiday Feast!

Good luck!

Honours, Awards... I am gobsmacked by it all!

Awards and honours… for me? WOW! That's overwhelming!

I've been very honoured to receive two lovely recognitions this week. First, the The Fab Fatties touched me deeply by including my blog in their list of 60 Most Inspiring Blogs.

Thanks, ladies. You made me cry! :)

I was then nominated for the Superior Scribbler Award by Debbie at Weigh to Go: Diary of a Fat Chick.
Debbie, thank you! I’m honoured!

As a new member of the Superior Scribblers, I’d like to nominate 5 others for this award.

But first, here are the particulars:

The Rules & Regulations are as follows:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the award on to five most deserving bloggers.
Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom s/he has received the award.

Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog, and link to The Scholastic Scribe, which explains the award.

Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit THIS post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List.

That way, they'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor.

Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

There are so many inspiring people out there it's really hard to only name five. These five have made special impact on me during my journey thus far:

1. http://danasafattymcbutterpants.blogspot.com/

2. http://inweighovermyhead.blogspot.com/

3. http://memyfourchinsandi.blogspot.com/

4. http://myfinaljourney08.blogspot.com/

5. http://www.hotmamasweightloss.com/

If you don't already read these blogs, please take a few minutes to check them out! They are fabulously inspiring, motivating, and determined people!