I am so excited to be participating in a recipe contest sponsored by Knorr.  They're launching a super new product called Knorr Homestyle Stock - concentrated chicken stock in these convenient little 1 ounce cups.  They come four to a package, and each one makes 3-1/2 cups of stock.  They're definitely more convenient than those giant cans of broth I've been using.

Sorry about the crummy lighting in my kitchen.  I turned on every light I have.

I wanted to come up with a recipe that would use the unique qualities of the Homestyle Stock, and I thought that what was really different about it is that it's so concentrated.  You can really get a lot of flavor out of these little guys!  It dawned on me that it might make fantastic rice.  I was right, and here's what I came up with:
First I made the rice.  I did it the night before because leftover rice makes better fried rice.

The Jasmine Rice package called for one cup of rice and 1-1/2 cups of water to make 3 cups of cooked rice, so I doubled it.  I used two cups of rice and 3 cups of water, and to that I added two of the little cups of Homestyle Stock.  This was a kind of radical act, because that's more than twice as concentrated as the label recommends, but I wanted to take advantage of the strong flavor.
You can see, even in my poorly lit kitchen, that the rice has a definite yellow tint.  I was glad to read that the product doesn't contain any added MSG (except for a trace amount that naturally occurs in autolyzed yeast extract).  Sometimes too much MSG gives me a headache.

I couldn't resist, and I tasted the rice at this point.  It would have been super just like this, maybe with a little parsley, alongside a chicken breast and a nice salad, or in a chicken and rice soup.  It was really flavorful!

But plain rice isn't going to win me a trip to BlogHer, so I pressed on.

Here's the rest of the ingredients:


That's my pre-cooked rice, two eggs, sesame oil, a package of frozen edamame (be smarter than I am, buy the pre-shelled stuff), a package of frozen peas and carrots, a can of water chestnuts, an onion, some green onion, and a package of chicken breast tenderloins.

I like to use chicken breast tenderloins for things like this because they're cheaper, and they're thin so they cook really quickly.

Chop the onion and the green onion, and beat the eggs.  Feel smug that you have cute bowls for just such an occasion.


Then realize that no cute bowls are enough to save you from bad lighting and bad photography, but persevere!

Close enough.  Put some sesame oil in the pan.  Debate the use of flash photography and food.

Scramble the egg, and completely forget to photograph the process.


In the same pan, cook the onion until it's translucent and starting to brown.


Once the onion is almost done, add the chicken tenderloins to the pan.  I didn't even cut them up, I just threw them in with the onions, then I used the spatula to break the chicken up into bite sized pieces as it cooked.  Meanwhile, I nuked the peas and carrots and the edamame in the microwave.  Because I'm a rebel, that's why.


Once the chicken is cooked through, add the rice and realize that your pan is too small.


We had ours with frozen mini-egg rolls.  Aside from having to make the rice ahead of time (which, honestly, is pretty optional), this would be a great weeknight meal for a hungry family.  It only took me about 25-30 minutes to put it together, and that was stopping every 10 seconds to take pictures.  It makes a ton.  Best of all, it has a really good, chickeny flavor.



Chickeny is not a word, apparently.


My husband voluntarily took the leftovers to work the next day, so it must be good!

I guess we can all be relieved that I'm not a food photographer for a living.  Wow.  At least I have white dishes.  They say that's important.

I really appreciate this opportunity to compete for a trip to BlogHer!  Thanks Knorr!  I will definitely be looking for your product in my grocery store.  It tastes great, and is a lot easier on my poor back than giant cans of broth. 

Printable Recipe

2 cups Jasmine Rice
3 cups water
2 tubs of Knorr Homestyle Stock (enough to make 7 cups of stock!)

2 eggs
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 package frozen edamame
1 package frozen peas and carrots
1 can water chestnuts
1/2 cup green onion, chopped (optional)

Cook the rice according to the package directions, adding the Knorr Homestyle Stock to the water prior to cooking.  Chill overnight.

Scramble the eggs in hot sesame oil, then remove (about 2 minutes).  In the same pan, saute the onion over medium high heat until it begins to brown (about 5 minutes).  Add the chicken and chop up with the spatula into bite sized pieces (about 5 minutes, depending on thickness).  When the chicken is cooked through, add the rice to the pan.  Add soy sauce to taste - between 1/4 and 1/2 cup.  Heat through (about 10 minutes).  Return the egg to the pan and heat through (about 3 minutes).

Meanwhile, microwave the frozen peas, carrots and edamame until hot (5 minutes, depending on your microwave).  Drain.

Toss the rice mixture and the vegetable mixture in a serving bowl.  Garnish with green onion.  Makes about 12 one-cup servings.

The contest is over and we have a winner, thanks!


Behold!


This, my friends, is the brand spankin' new Britax baby carrier!  It is like the Baby Bjorn and the Ergo had a baby - it's as easy to use as a Bjorn, but positions the baby's spine correctly like an Ergo.

It can be used with babies 8 - 32 pounds (and let's be honest, who wants to wear a baby who weighs more than 32 pounds - ouch!).  The white part on the front is super soft and cuddly.

Unlike the Ergo, where the infant insert is sold separately, the infant insert is built right in to the Britax carrier.  (That makes the Britax considerably less expensive than the Ergo for new babies).

The baby can face in or out - out being Jack's preferred position - in the Britax.  The Ergo is inward-facing only. 

You can't wear it on your back, but to be honest, I've never been comfortable with that position, anyway.  Maybe it's because I have long, pullable hair.

When I first put Jack into the Ergo, he cried and fussed.  We never have gotten the hang of it.  Not so with the Britax.  He was calm and comfortable the entire time we wore it.  I really love it, and I can't wait to test it out at the Children's Museum next week!

I didn't want to wait that long to tell you about it, though, because I have the opportunity to give one away! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  Facebook friends will need to click through to my blog (http://prettybabies.blogspot.com) because Facebook comments won't count this time.  You don't have to have a baby to win, either.  This would make an awesome gift for a new parent.  The MSRP is $129.99!

One comment/entry per person, ok? Don't forget to include a way for me to get in touch with you if you win!

Good luck!

There's a lot of hair in this house.  Mary Grace has difficult hair.  It's thick and curly.  Very, very curly.  I tease her that she spends most nights lying in her bed tying it in knots.  Claire, on the other hand, has thick, straight hair, and a very tender head.  And of course, my hair (which desperately needs to be cut) is also thick, but mine is more wavy than curly.

Consequently, I used to spend at least 15 minutes every morning dealing with hair.  Generally this involved chasing a screaming Claire around the house, threatening to shave her head if she didn't just suck it up and let me comb her hair, already.  Mary Grace behaved better, but it still broke my heart to hear her say, "Ouch Mommy, it hurts!" as tears rolled down her sweet cheeks.  I'd tell her that I remember my mom combing the tangles out of my hair, too, and I know how much it hurts, but there's nothing I can do.

Then I heard about a product that has changed our lives.  I loved it so much that I contacted the company and asked them if I could share it with you!  Behold:

That, my friends, is a Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer, and they are not kidding when they say it's magic.

The top part lifts out, and there are eensy weensy little plastic tines on the other side.  Somehow, probably with magic, it takes out the tangles without hurting the kid.  Even Claire's tender head! 
I can brush Mary Grace's hair dry, which is something I haven't been able to do since she was one.  This is going to make our winters so much easier - it used to be that I had to soak her hair to comb it, and then worry about her going out in the cold with a wet head.  We won't have to worry about it next winter!

The kids have even asked to comb their own hair with the Magic Flowerpot, and because of the magic they can actually do a pretty decent job of it - freeing me up to do other things in the morning.  I just give it a once-over when they're done, and we go.  No more 15 minute hair battles in our house!

I'm still in the post-partum shed - I don't know how I actually have any hair left to lose at this point, because it has been six months, but I'm losing a TON of hair every day.  It was all over the bathroom before, because the brush I used to use didn't grab it as well.  The tines on the Tangle Teezer actually grab the hair better, resulting in less mess (and fewer loose hairs all over the house).

You can buy the regular Tangle Teezer at Sally Beauty Supply (which is what I did) or you can order one online.  I'm excited to be able to give you an opportunity to win one, too!  All you have to do is go to the Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer's Facebook page and click "LIKE," then post a comment on the wall saying that you came from http://prettybabies.blogspot.com, and why you need a Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer.  One winner will be randomly selected to win!

Good luck!

(Scroll down for the Diaper Bag Diva Giveaway winner!!)

Gah!!

On Thursday at noon I will be leaving for BlogHer. I want to give you all a preview of what you can expect here at Pretty Babies.

Thursday afternoon I will be posting about our experience riding in a Tahoe Hybrid courtesy of General Motors.

Friday I will be liveblogging two sessions. The first will be "A Room of Your Own 2 - Blogqueers" (nothing like starting with a bang!). I should have that up around noon on Friday. The second session will be "Identity/Passions: Patient Bloggers," which should be posted in the late afternoon. It's my goal to act as a reporter and not editorialize these sessions. You all know how good I am at not having opinions, so we'll see how that goes.

Saturday I'm liveblogging two more BlogHer sessions. #1 is "Room of Your Own 1: Vaginally challenged bloggers- the men of BlogHer" (please note that I was assigned to do these, and I did not name them, Grandma!). The second is "Room of Your Own 2: Blogging as Storytelling." I'm most nervous about this one, because it's the one I'm most interested in, so it's going to be hard to focus on my job (liveblogging) and not on what's being presented. Thankfully it's last, so I will have lots of practice by then. The first will be posted around noon and the second in the late afternoon.

I'll also (hopefully) have my new Flip Video Camera by then (LOVE YOU Johnson & Johnson!) so hopefully (assuming I can figure everything out on the fly) I'll be able to post nearly-live conference coverage videos.

I may do a couple of very short drive-by posts if something really amazing happens, but there won't be cute kid stories or pictures for a couple of days.

Also, the posting frequency is bound to increase. If you're totally not interested in BlogHer, I'm sorry. Please don't unsubscribe. Things will be back to normal next week.

If you are interested in BlogHer, but can't attend, I encourage you to Google "BlogHer Liveblogging" throughout the conference (Friday and Saturday) to read other accounts of the other sessions. There are many. I also have heard that there will be podcasts of the sessions. Right now if you search the iTunes store, you'll find 2007 and 2008. I'd imagine that the 2009 stuff will start showing up on Thursday when the conference begins (the first day is the business conference, Friday and Saturday are the days I'll be there).

Finally, we have a winnah to announce!! I had 8 entries in the Diaper Bag Diva giveaway, and instead of using a random number generator, I just had MG pick her favorite number between 1 and 8. She chose 3 (and then chose purple and kittens, and now she wants three purple kittens... *sigh*) which means that CATHIE is our big winner! Congratulations Cathie!

No, not me.... Kaydee is the Diaper Bag Diva, and she asked me to help promote her really cute website full of baby gear.

Since she loves me (or my blog, anyway), and I love you, we decided to throw a little giveaway! Just visit her website and choose your favorite item under $40. Simply leave a comment with your name, an e-mail address where I can find you if you win, and the name of your favorite product. In one week, I'll draw a name and the winner will receive that item from Kaydee. Choose carefully - there's lots of really cute stuff. If you don't have kids, or if your kids are past the baby stage, like mine, think of all the pregnant people you know who are going to be having showers (like Jill!!!) and enter for the gift you'd like to give!

Personally, I'm liking the Versailles Bowling Bag Diaper Bag (pictured above right). (Sorry I can't get the picture to be less grainy). What's your favorite?

Yesterday was a really crummy day. Sorry for not posting. I called BJ at work and said, "When you get home I am LEAVING," and when he got home I bravely ran away. Don't worry, I came back. All my stuff is here.

***

When Claire was little, BJ would give MG a bath while I nursed Claire to sleep. When MG got out of the tub, she would crawl into bed with me, and I would sniff her head (usually right at her neck, to make her giggle) and say, "MMMMMMmmmmm! You smell so nice and bathy!" We used Johnson & Johnson's bedtime baby shampoo on her then, the stuff that smells like lavendar. That smell still takes me right back to that time.

I woke up this morning to exciting news! I won the Pay Your Way to Blogher Sweepstakes, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, to cover the costs associated with getting to the conference, and a Flip video camera! My roommates and I are so excited, and so grateful to Johnson & Johnson's!!!!! We're also grateful to GM, for sponsoring the vehicle we're carpooling in to get to the conference!

I can not WAIT to bring you exciting coverage of this conference, on my new Flip!!

I really needed good news today, after a rough week. Thanks so much, Johnson & Johnson, GM, Flip, BlogHer!!

My friend Cate, who lives in Alaska, is going to be here any minute, but I just had to share this amazing news, and my gratitude, with all of you! Today is looking like a MUCH better day.

My friend Casey is competing to win a role on the TV show Bones. She's a real working actress. If you listen to the radio around here, you have probably heard her doing voice-overs on commercials.

Obviously, opportunities to act are few and far between in Indiana.

The contest is on if.net - each participant makes a video of herself reading the lines from the script, and then people come and vote, and the producers of the show will pick a winner from the 5 people with the most votes.

In other words, we need to get Casey into the top 5. Right now she's 8th.

Here's what I want you to do... Go to if.net, create a profile for yourself (they don't spam) under "join today" and log in. Then search for "Cassandra" and click on Cassandra S., West Lafayette, IN's profile. When you get to her profile, scroll down until you see "Land a Role on Bones" and click on "Vote for me now!" That will take you to her audition video. Scroll down one more time until you see the green "vote now" checkmark, and click the check.

That's it. And if you remember to do it every day for the next 9 days, I'm sure Casey will win. It's so close. She's been in and out of the top five all month.

Let's show my friend lots and lots of LOVE this Valentine's day by helping her achieve her dream! Thanks, everyone!

Something very odd is going on with Blogger.

Let me know if you don't see this post, ok?

This is just a friendly reminder that you need to go back to Parents.com to vote for my cute kids in the cover model contest. Go here to vote for MG and here to vote for Claire!

I know it's a pain, but vote (5 stars, of course) and recommend (the up arrow) on each picture, ok?

You know I'd do it for you.

Thanks!!