Vacation week

So I am burnt out from Christmas and have decided to take a week off from blogging. I am sure that most people feel the same and I think will not cook this week anyway. Merry Christmas to all. Be back next week!

Christmas Week...my favorite of the year.

Merry Christmas everyone! I know this week might be filled with lots of parties, baking, and loved ones; but I still have to cook, how about you? Needless to say, I have a crazy week and so I needed some easy meals, so here they are.

Monday- Spinach Mandarin Salad

Tuesday- Baked Pesto Chicken with Angel hair and herbs

Wednesday- Stir fry (chicken, beef or vegetable)

Thursday- Sweet and Salty Wraps

Friday- Chipotle style burritos

Spinach and Mandarin Salad

So I made this for my mom's group a few weeks ago and they loved it. I thought it would be appropriate for dinner as well. You can pair it with some yummy rolls as well. I make the dressing in the recipe, but if you are in a pinch you could buy your own. I never use the rest of the dressing, so I save it and make the Sweet and Salty Wraps later in the week. Recipe and picture from Our best bites.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/01/spinach-mandarin-poppy-seed-salad/
Baked Pesto Chicken with Angel Hair and Herbs

I haven't made this one before but I have been wanting a new pesto recipe. I make my own pesto: http://www.marthastewart.com/314321/basic-basil-pesto. It is not hard, so don't be scared. The rest of the recipe seems very simple. Recipe from Momswhothink.com

Chicken breast

1/2 cup basil pesto

2 plum tomatoes

Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover cookie sheet with foil.

2. Put pesto and chicken in bowl. Toss until chicken is covered.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

4. Place slices of tomato on top of chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

5. Bake another 3-5 minutes.

6. Serve with a box of angel hair pasta and herbs and French bread.

Stir Fry

Chicken/beef whatever you feel up for

Olive Oil

Onion

broccoli

carrots

Red pepper

Green Beans

Whatever veggies you have on hand or like

Rice

Soy Vay Teryiaki or your favorite teriyaki sauce

• Heat some vegetable oil in a pan until warm
• Add onion and stir fry for a few minutes
• Add remainder of veggies and stir fry for a few more minutes
• Add meat and cook thoroughly
• Add teriyaki sauce and cook for a minute or until warm
• Serve over white/brown rice

Sweet and Salty Wraps

Here's where you use the leftover Poppy Seed dressing! These are super easy and yummy. I have even used chicken nuggets in here when I ran out of chicken. So tasty. I serve this with a fruit salad and even some baked beans. Recipe and picture of course from Our best bites.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/07/quick-fix-sweet-salty-salad-wrap/
Chipotle Style Burritos

So I am not sure if you all like Chipotle, but I do. I wanted to try and recreate the burrito and I think this tastes pretty close (at least to me).

Chicken

Taco Seasoning

Fresh Salsa

Black or Pinto Beans

White or Brown Rice

Avocado (if you like it)

Tortillas

Mozzarella cheese

• Grill diced Chicken until cooked
• Add taco seasoning according to package directions
• Cook rice
• Place chicken to tortilla and top with toppings

Shopping list

Spinach

Avocado

red onion

mozzarella cheese

broccoli

green beans

Fresh basil

Toasted pine nuts

chicken

pinto/black beans

fresh salsa

tortillas

taco seasoning

dried cranberries

feta cheese

bacon

carrots

red pepper

plum tomatoes

mandarin oranges

green onions

balsamic vinegar

The Week of December 12-16

So, I really need to recover from my comfort food week last week. Sorry about that, I have been having a bit of stress in my life and I think I was trying to compensate with creamy, cheesy foods. Oops. Oh well, time to get back on track. I hope everyone is getting into the Christmas season with decorating and celebrating with loved ones. Enjoy this weeks choices.

Monday- Fish tacos with Mango Quinoa Salad

Tuesday- Chicken Roll-Ups with Goat Cheese; Risotto and Butternut squash

Wednesday- Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews

Thursday- Tri-tip with Veggies and Macaroni Salad

Friday- Fresh Tomato Rigatoni with Goat cheese

So hopefully you aren't thinking these are too complicated because if you are you don't know me too well. I do work and have two kids, which of course leaves little time for drawn out meals. So give them a try and see how easy and yummy they are.

Fish Tacos and Mango Quinoa Salad (Recipe for quinoa below)

Fresh or frozen Talapia (enough to feed your family)

Corn tortillas

Cilantro

Lemon/lime juice

Lemon pepper

Olive oil/butter

• Preheat oven to broil
• Line broiling pan with foil and non-stick spray
• Place talapia on foil and either brush with olive oil or a little butter
• Sprinkle fish with lemon pepper
• Broil for 6-8 minutes (dep. on the thickness) mine took 7 min
• Place fish in tortillas and sprinkle with lemon or lime, and cilantro

Here is the link to the quinoa. If you have never tried this before it is a grain and really tasty. You can find it near the rice in most stores and cook it similar to rice as well. I use chicken broth instead of water to give it a better flavor. The quinoa needs to be cool prior to mixing this so you could even prepare it the night before and mix it up right before serving.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/05/mango-quinoa-salad/

Chicken Roll-ups with Goat cheese; Risotto with butternut squash

So this is one of those recipes that I was unsure about trying but loved it and have been making it for years now. It is actually very easy. I following recipe except I do not pan fry them first. I just roll them and then brush with a bit of olive oil and course salt and pop them in the oven and cook until opaque throughout. I buy the mushroom risotto box from Trader Joe's and add extra chicken broth or water and throw in some cubed butternut squash in the risotto as it cooks. Yum! Recipe and picture from Martha Stewart.com

Chicken cutlets

arugula

Goat cheese

course salt

olive oil

boxed risotto

cubed butternut squash

http://www.marthastewart.com/318947/chicken-roll-ups-with-goat-cheese-and-ar

Asian Noodle Salad with chicken and Cashews

So this is like Chinese Chicken Salad but with noodles instead of lettuce, yummy. Recipe and picture from For the Love of cooking.

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/asian-noodle-salad-with-chicken-and.html

Tri-tip with Macaroni Salad

So we are having our neighborhood Christmas party this week and we are having a potluck, hence this meal. I am making the macaroni salad but not the tri-tip. I am not very good at cooking steak, but if you are Trader Joe's or Costco both have really yummy pre-marinated ones. Here is the link to the macaroni salad I use. I doctor it up and add diced ham or salami and montery jack cheese, cubed. I like this recipe because I usually have most of the ingredients.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/macaroni-salad-recipe/index.html

Fresh Tomato pasta with goat cheese

This recipe is from Everyday Food Magazine, picture is from Martha Stewart.com

Use your left over goat cheese from the roll-ups to sprinkle on top of this pasta to give it a different taste than your typical pasta.

Rigatoni noodles

5-6 whole Roma tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Garlic

Olive oil

Goat cheese

• Preheat oven to 375
• Spray small loaf pan with non-stick spray
• place tomatoes in pan side by side
• Place fresh basil and garlic next to and on top on the tomatoes
• Coat the tomatoes and basil with some olive oil
• Bake until the tomatoes and very soft (usually 20-30 minutes)
• Once soft, take out of the oven and smash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or masher (this is a chunkier sauce, but is still saucy).
• pour over cooked noodles and sprinkle with goat cheese

Shopping list

Snow peas

Shredded carrots

red/orange pepper

Cashews

Spaghetti

Sesame oil

Talapia

Corn Tortillas

Mango

Black Beans

Cilantro

Chicken cutlets

Goat Cheese

Arugula

Rigatoni

Roma Tomatoes

Mandarin Oranges

Green onions

Risotto

Butternut Squash

Chicken broth

Sorry....but it is comfort food week

So when I was making my weekly grocery list I guess I may have been a bit cold. We are eating a little less healthy this week, so I apologize for that, but hopefully they will all be tasty. So I have been getting great feedback that people are enjoying the website!! I am so glad that people seem to actually be using it. Please keep up the comments and especially let me know how you liked the food and if you have any suggestions for menu ideas.

Monday- Bandera's Macho Salad

Tuesday- Baked Potato Soup

Wednesday- Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

Thursday- Honey Lime Enchiladas

Friday- Meatball Sandwiches

Bandera's Macho Salad

Picture and Recipe from Frugal Foodie Family. So even though this salad is NOT lowfat, it looks so yummy. I figured with the rest of the recipes this week, I def. needed some greens too. This recipe calls for dates, but I think I am going to use raisins instead (I just couldn't bring myself to buy dates) :) PREMAKE Corn bread for this recipe.

http://frugalfoodiefamily.com/2011/07/12/banderas-macho-salad/

Baked Potato Soup

I have always wanted to make baked potato soup and I have to admit, I never have. I thought this recipe sounded good (Of course because it is from Our Best Bites). I hope it turns out tasty for everyone. Picture also from Our Best Bites. Serve with remaining corn bread from last night.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/10/baked-potato-soup/

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

(Picture from Tasty Recipes.com)

Chicken Drumsticks (however many will feed your family)

a bottle of BBQ sauce (whatever your favorite is)

You can serve this with rice and a veggie or whatever you like

• Place drumsticks in crock pot
• Pour BBQ sauce over the top
• Cook on low for 4 hours

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

(Recipe courtesy of my friend Amy, picture from All Recipes)

4-6 TBS honey
5 TBS lime juice
1TBS chili powder (sprinkle on chicken)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. chicken cooked and shredded( about 3 breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream

• Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken
• MARINATE for at least 30 minutes
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees
• Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in a 9 x 13 greased pan
• Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese (reserve sauce from chicken)
• Mix the remainder of the enchilada sauce with cream, and marinade and pour on top of enchiladas
• Sprinkle with remainder of cheese
• Bake for 20- 30 minutes until brown on top

Meatball Sandwiches

So I am cheating this week an getting the frozen turkey meatballs from TJ's, but if you are up for making your own this week, here is a link to some. I serve this with a salad and a few potato chips. Picture from All Recipes.

Frozen turkey meatballs

Rolls

Mozzarella

Marinara Sauce

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/meatball-sandwich/detail.aspx

Shopping List

Avocado

goat cheese

Roma tomatoes

Roasted Almonds

Corn

Dates or Raisins

Corn Bread mix

Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken Broth

Baked Potatoes

Sour Cream

Bacon

Green Onions

Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese

Rolls

Chips

Lettuce

Limes

flour Tortillas

Heavy Cream

Chicken

BBQ sauce

Green Enchilada sauce

Oh wow, it is December this week!

Is anyone else amazed and overwhelmed that it is December this week! I really have no clue where November went. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we certainly did. I hope all of you are enjoying these posts, if you are can you let me know what recipes you liked and didn't so I know. Also if there is anything I can change that would make it easier for you to use the site. Anyways, enjoy.

Monday- Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches

Tuesday- Mexican Rice bake

Wednesday- Pasta Bake

Thursday- Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Friday- Fridge Frittata

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Buns

Chicken (frozen or fresh)

BBQ sauce

Sweet Onion

This is pretty basic but here is the link in case you need a little tutorial :)

Recipe and picture from Food.com

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-and-tasty-barbecue-chicken-sandwiches-in-the-crock-pot-95569

Mexican Rice Bake

This is one of my new favorite meals. It looks a bit like a jumbled mess, but wow it sure is delicious when you put it all together. You really don't need anything else with it, but a salad may be nice too. Also, I did used sour cream and not the yogurt, but I am sure it is good either way. (Recipe and picture from Frugal Foodie Family)

http://frugalfoodiefamily.com/2011/09/29/mexican-chicken-and-rice-bake/

Pasta Bake

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

zucchini, chopped

1, 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 Tblsp. Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

cooked shredded chicken

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 pkg. fresh tortellini (cheese, or chicken)

(This recipe is courtesy of my friend Suzi)

• Boil fresh tortellini and set aside
• Saute onion and garlic
• Add zucchini and saute until tender, but not soft
• Add crushed tomatoes
• Add all seasonings
• Add shredded chicken, stir until warm
• line fresh pasta in a 13X9 greased dish
• Pour tomato mixture over the top and top with cheese
• Bake at 350 degree's for 20 minutes

Creamy Chicken taquitos

(Recipe and picture from Our Best Bites)

This is one of my favorite recipes from them. Two things, the course salt is key and these are not so good reheated)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/

Fridge Fritatta

So I call this the fridge fritatta because it is really made from whatever you have in your fridge. I am going to give you what I normally throw in there in case you want an idea

Spinach

diced ham

Shredded Cheese (desired amount)

red pepper

4 eggs

milk

one slice of sourdough bread (diced)

• Saute spinach. and red pepper in some olive oil in an 8 inch skillet
• In a separate bowl scramble the eggs and add a splash of milk
• Next add ham, cheese, and bread to the mixture
• Pour mixture in skillet and place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until set. You don't want to over cook it though, so watch it well.
• Make sure your skillet is oven safe, as some are not!

The week of Thanksgiving!!

Oh, how I adore Thanksgiving. I really don't think it has much to do with the fact that I love to eat!! Really, who doesn't love all of the yumminess that comes with it? My favorites include; green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Of course the mashed potatoes too. Well enough about the yummy dinner that I am not even sure I get to eat this year (I have to work), and on to some easy dinners for the week. I went with mostly no brainers this week. The soup is the only one that really takes time to prepare, but it really is delicious. Enjoy!

Monday- Homemade Pizza

Tuesday- Chili Lime Chicken Tacos

Wednesday- Three Bean Pasta e Fagioli

Thursday- Thanksgiving....enjoy everyone!

Friday- Teriyaki chicken bowls

Homemade Pizza

Trader Joe's Garlic and Herb Pizza Dough (or make your own)

Pizza Sauce/marinara

Mozzarella cheese

Your favorite toppings (I used either ham/pineapple or zucchini and salami)

If you need a little guidance on how to make homemade pizza here is a tutorial from our best bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/cooking-class-pizza-101/

(Picture from our best bites)

Chili Lime Chicken Tacos

Chili Lime Chicken Burgers from Trader Joe's (In the frozen isle)

Corn tortillas

Avocado

Salsa

• This is a recipe/picture is from the Trader Joe's website
• Place all four patties on a non-stick pan and grill, crumbling the burgers as you go
• Once cook serve in corn tortillas with your favorite toppings
• I serve this with Cesar salad and black beans

Three Bean Pasta e Fagioli

This is one of my favorite soups. Who doesn't love Rachel Ray? I do, but her recipes always have too many ingredients for me. This one has more than I usually do, but a lot of it I usually have on hand (celery, onion, pasta, green beans etc). Try it, you won't be disappointed. Might I add that the lemon juice and zest is a must, as well as the cheese on top. Yum.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/three-bean-pasta-e-fagioli-recipe/index.html

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

(I got this recipe from my friend Jessica. I have been looking for a teriyaki bowl that tastes like one you would buy at a chicken bowl restaurant, this is pretty close.

1 cup rice (I use brown, but whatever you prefer)

broccoli

carrots

1 tbls vegetable oil

1 lb chicken cut in strips

1 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Soy Vay Teriyaki)

4 tbls light soy sauce

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tbls cornstarch

• Steam veggies
• Cook rice
• Mix cornstarch with equal parts water, then add to soy sauce, rice vinegar, and teriyaki sauce in a bowl
• Brown chicken then add the teriyaki sauce until it thickens
• Serve with veggies and rice

Shopping List

• Pizza dough
• pizza sauce
• mozzerella cheese
• toppings
• Chili Lime Chicken burgers (TJ's)
• Black beans
• Corn tortillas
• celery
• onion
• cannellini beans
• garbonzo beans
• green beans
• lemon
• onion
• tomato paste
• chicken broth
• mini penne pasta
• romano cheese
• fresh parsley
• chicken
• broccoli
• carrots
• teriyaki sauce

The week of November 13th (Happy Birthday Dad)

I hope a few of you took advantage of the meal list last week. Here is a new week of recipes. Enjoy. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or really liked/didn't like something.

Monday- Asian Style Chicken Wraps, grilled veggies

Tuesday- Turkey Burgers, with homemade sweet potato fries

Wednesday- Pumpkin alfredo

Thursday- Shredded chicken tacos, black beans and corn

Friday- Chili rubbed salmon, with zucchini and coos-coos

Below are the recipes/links to the recipes. I have had a lot of feedback that I needed some pictures, so here is my attempt to add pictures.

Asian Style Chicken Wraps

1 whole cooked chicken (store bought or your own about 2 1/2 pounds), shredded

8 store-bought crepes or you could make your own. I think I may next time, though these are wonderful (I found mine in near the produce for whatever reason)

2/3 cup Hoison Sauce (find it with the Asian sauces)

6 green onions slivered

• Trim both ends off of the green onions and slice vertically and then in half
• Warm the crepes in the microwave (30 seconds or so)
• Place the shredded chicken, green onions and sauce and wrap it in the crepe and enjoy
• I served this with grilled zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine, June 2005

Turkey Burgers and homemade sweet potato fries

(picture and recipe from Our best bites)
Most of the time I just buy the pre-molded turkey patties and just grill them on the stove for a few minutes, but I love me some homemade sweet potato fries. This is my favorite recipe, and of course it from Our Best Bites. The trick to making these fries is to not have the spears touch each other. For those of you who shop at Trader Joes, they have these already cut into spears for you, which makes it way easier. Here is the link on how to make them:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/03/baked-sweet-potato-fries-with-honey-lime-dip/

Pumpkin Alfredo with Ravioli or linguine

(Recipe and picture from Our best bites)

To start you have to first make the guiltless-alfredo sauce from the recipe (if you are not feeling that adventurous, you can always go with store bought). Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed but making the sauce yourself, it is easy and much healthier. I am going to take her advice and serve this with whole wheat noodles instead of ravioli though.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/11/pasta-with-pumpkin-alfredo/

Shredded Chicken Tacos

1/2- 3/4 bag of FROZEN (it helps keep it moist) chicken tenderloins or breast

1 container of fresh restaurant style salsa (not chunky) and yes you can use jarred (not chunky)

tortillas

Shredded cheese

• Place frozen chicken breast and salsa in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours
• Once cooked, shred
• Top with cheese, avocado, etc.
• I serve this with black beans and corn on the side

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Zucchini Spears

(recipe and picture from Martha Stewart.com)

The first time I made this salmon, I thought, weird, chili powder? But, YUMMY! If done right, it should taste like it is straight out of a restaurant. The trick is cover generously with Chili powder and course salt. The recipe does say only 1 tsp. but I used more. Broil for just a few minutes. I serve with Coos-Coos and not the corn.

http://www.marthastewart.com/330190/chili-rubbed-salmon-with-zucchini-and-sa

Shopping List

Rotisserie chicken

green onions

Hoisin Sauce

Store bought Crepes

Zucchini

Yellow Pepper

Grape Tomatoes

Salmon Fillets

Canned Pumpkin

Chicken Broth

Fresh Sage/Thyme

Onion

Frozen Chicken tenderloins

Tortillas

Fresh/Jarred Salsa

Ground Turkey/Patties

Sweet potatoes/Spears

Black Beans

Corn

Whole Wheat Noodles

Welcome! So we will see how this goes :)

Hi everyone, or maybe just Marlou :) I have been asked to create a blog to post my weekly meal list and shopping list to go with it. I am going to try my best to keep up on it, but we will see how easy this will be with two little kids. The basic idea is I am going to post what I am cooking for dinner this week as well as what you need to buy at the store for those meals. Feel free to pick and choose from whatever you would like depending on your family's preferences or following my cooking for the week. I try to cook somewhat healthy, but do not hesitate to cook some comfort food as well. I enjoy cooking and try to stay on a budget too. If this sounds like something you would like to do, feel free to follow me. I would also LOVE input and feel free to leave any ideas you may have for meals, or meals that you love to eat too. I am always open for new ideas. Just a forewarning: I do not come up with my own meals. I am really good at following recipes, but not so good at coming up with my own recipes. I will usually post links to the recipes or type it out for you. Just a little background on myself, I am a full time mom, part time RN and like to cook. I have a three year old and a 7 month old. My husband is not picky (minus tomatoes and mushrooms) so I try to cook a variety of things. That being said, I do have a picky 3 year old, so I do try to cook things that can be made into kid friendly as well. Many times I use the same ingredients in two different meals for the week to save money too. I usually cook things that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. I cook 6 days a week, but will only be posting 5 days here just for easy purposes. Well, I think that is it for now. Please let me know what you all think and if you have any ideas for improvement. Lorisa :)

Monday- Chicken noodle soup and cornbread

Tuesday- Honey Peanut chicken with brown rice and green beans

Wednesday- BLAT's with baked beans

Thursday- Thai peanut noodle salad

Friday- Artichoke stuffed chicken

Also, I make breakfast for dinner every Sat. night so this week I am making a Frittata. Not sure which one yet though. Below are the recipes and shopping list:

Chicken noodle soup

1-2 tblsp. butter

1/2 onion

3-4 stocks of celery

4-5 chicken tenderloins

8 cups chicken broth'

1/8 tsp. pepper

8 ounces egg noodles

2 carrots chopped

• Melt butter in a skillet, saute onion, celery until translucent about 10 minutes
• In a pot, bring chicken broth, chicken (fresh or frozen), and carrots to a boil
• Add pepper and noodles and return to a boil
• take chicken out and shred or slice once cooked.
• Reduce heat to medium until noodles are soft, replace chicken
• Serve with cornbread and honey butter

Honey Peanut chicken

Here is the link to the recipe, btw, I LOVE this site: Warning- this requires a 1-2 hour marinade!

http://frugalfoodiefamily.com/2011/06/22/honey-peanut-chicken/

BLAT's

So this is pretty self explanatory,

• Sourdough bread
• turkey or regular bacon (I used turkey)
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Avocado

Serve with cheese and mayo if desired. I usually serve this with baked beans too.

Thai peanut noodle salad

For those of you who know me, know I am obsessed with Our Best Bites, so you will be seeing a lot of recipes from there and here is one of my favorites. Instead of making my own recipe, I buy the Thai peanut dressing form TJ's and add honey and lime to it.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/07/thai-peanut-noodle-salad/

Artichoke/Ricotta Stuffed Chicken

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ricotta-and-artichoke-stuffed-chicken-breasts/detail.aspx

• I would recommend stirring in some fresh Parmesan cheese and season the chicken as well
• Serve this with whatever you like, I usually do rice and salad.

Shopping list:

• onion
• celery
• chicken breasts (2 or more for the stuffed chicken dep. on your need)
• 8 cups chicken broth
• egg noodles
• sourdough bread
• artichoke hearts marinated
• chicken tenderloins (frozen or fresh)
• lettuce
• yellow pepper
• red onion
• cabbage or broccoli slaw
• Thai peanut dressing from TJ's (or make your own from the recipe)
• avocado
• turkey bacon
• tomatoes
• honey roasted peanuts
• linguine noodles

Ok, there it is, my first post. PLEASE let me know what you think, or if this is helpful to you.