Alexi and Ani on Zeeberry.com

Kudos to my mom for finding Alex and Ani bangles on http://www.zeeberry.com/. or click HERE

My mom gets a bigger shout out for giving me this coupon code for $10 off a $50 purchase..coupon code is REVIEW10

Here are more additions I've made to the collection..and I'm glad it's payday because with this coupon code, I'll be adding some more! (please ignore my cat bite scar on my wrist and focus on my cool bangles instead)

I  also used the code zb10 for 10% off. Enjoy and Happy Shopping!

The Best Hummus Ever & Snack of the Week!

Growing up in good old Woonsocket, RI, I don't think I ever heard of or knew what hummus was. I didn't think I really grew up under a rock, but it was a food that didn't fit in the hotdog or pasta category, so therefore, we probably didn't eat it as kids. One of the great things about Mr. Allan, is that he introduced me to some different foods, one of them being hummus. He'd do weird stuff, like take half a tub of hummus and mix it with tuna, and I'd look at him like he had five heads. But, once he put the can of tuna aside, the hummus part wasn't so bad. Once I found out it was actually a healthy snack, it's stock went up in my book.

So, I've tried and tested many hummuses since my big discovery that I actually liked it..everything from 40 spices to tomato and basil to plain old garlic. Nothing compares to this hummus...Whole Foods Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. It doesn't have that overly creamy maybe this isn't good for me taste that some hummuses have. It's flavorful, has a great texture and it tastes so good that I can put away my Stacy's Pita Chips and just dip veggies in it.

Every Friday after work, I hit up my local Whole Foods to grab meat and sale items and this goes into the cart every time. One week, they ran out of it and I almost went berserk in the store and probably looked like a lunatic when I marched up to the service desk inquiring if they had any in the back...but gotta have my hummus..and it was scary because I kind of reminded myself of my mom :)...love you mom!

So, my snack of the week...Whole Food's Hummus and these bad boys..Stacy's Pita Chips...I have a love affair with these...I've tried to back off and not buy them because I have no self control when a bag of chips opens and Mr. Allan has less than me. So, one week it's carrots, celery, cucumbers and peppers with the hummus and the next I'll buy some Stacy's Pita Chips.

Stacy's Pita Chips are sold everywhere...from BJ's to Stop and Shop to Whole Foods etc. A healthier alternative if you're hooked on Lays!

My new love

I went back and forth...do I really need one, will I really like it? The answers are yes and yes! I waffled, had it in my amazon cart on four different occasions and then finally bit the bullet and bought a Kindle.

I was probably similar to a lot of people out there telling myself that I really like the feeling of a book in my hands. Well, the feeling of my Kindle is my hands beats the stupid old book.

I don't travel as often as my husband, but when we do, we're usually off to some type of warm climate to relax. On our honeymoon, I brought 6 novels with me and read them all.My luggage was probably 25 lbs of shoes, 10 pounds of clothes and 10 pounds of books. They were heavy, cumbersome to travel with, and I think the Four Seasons in Maui got the gift of Lauren Conrad's LA Candy novel from me since I didn't want to pack it and bring it home.

I really didn't know if I would like the Kindle. I like to take trips to Barnes and Noble and peruse the aisles and I also like to have a little pile of books to read by my nightstand. But, having all the books in one compact spot can't be beat. I bought a cover for my Kindle from amazon.com. When I just held the Kindle with no cover, it felt a little weird and it also felt delicate. I couldn't see myself throwing it into my purse or work bag. Now, with the cover, it feels like a book, I typically toss it in my purse and I'm good to go. I can't get over the crisp resolution of the screen and it's pretty convenient that you can press a button and shop in the Kindle store to buy yourself a book. Another huge plus is that I don't have to worry about all the books hanging around and where I'm going to store them. Mr. Allan and I both have one bookcase a piece and both are packed. I'm really not a huge fan of the look of my bookcase in our spare room. It makes me feel cluttered and I've found myself donating books more and more the past few years. Now with the Kindle..problem is solved.

Here's the front of my Kindle with the cover. I went back and forth on a cover, but the protection it gives, alone, was worth the extra money for it.

Here's my Kindle screen. It looks a little bigger in this picture but it's about the size of a medium sized paper back book.

I can't get over the resolution of this screen...it's a million times better than I really ever expected.

So, the Kindle was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know if I wanted it just to have a new electronic gadget, or if I'd really love it. And...I really love it. It makes reading a book more accessible to me and I'm looking forward to donating some books that we have stored at the house and get rid of the bookcases that are somewhat of an eyesore in some of our spare rooms. Now, if I could only get Mr. Allan to make the switch over and embrace this new technology!

I thought the roads in RI were bad yesterday....

Yesterday's commute was downright treacherous. It normally takes me 15 minutes to get to my Tuesday destination..our lovely courthouse in the southern part of the state. Yesterday it was a 45 minute ride. I live on a pretty big hill. Mr. Allan assured me the roads weren't bad at all. So, I hopped in my little Toyota Corolla, aka the soccer mom in training car, and slid right down the hill. Once I was down that hill, I knew there was no going back. I had to take the back roads. I turned on one road to see a 4 car accident at a big curve up ahead. I started to gently apply the brakes only to have my car swurve all over the place. My only option was to hit a snowbank to stop it. Thank god I don't really like my car and the valet in my garage sidewiped it against a pole last year and made me not care about dents and scratches anymore. When I approached the accident, I just scraped along the snowbank to keep myself from hitting the other cars. Definitely a turn down the radio, white knuckle kind of driving day. And, to think, I was pissed when I walked out the door because I took the time to straighten my hair and it was drizzling...which would result in a frizzy total waste of 20 minutes that morning.

Well, these people had it much worse thenme and my wasted morning hair straightening.




And a kudos to the Today show. I really do listen to you guys in the 20 minutes I watch you in between the hair drying and actually getting dressed stage in my morning. They had winter driving tips...never to brake and turn your wheel..only do one or the other. I listened!

Good Reads..

Reading is a passion of mine.  I was a little kid at East Woosocket School begging my dad for more money to buy the Troll books from the paper leaflets my 2nd grade teacher would hand out. I would get the books and hole myself in my bedroom reading one after another. I blew through Ramona Quimby, Nancy Drew, the Babysitters Club, onto Sweet Valley Kids and graduated onto Sweet Valley High.

Now that I've outgrown the Babysitter's Club, I've moved onto what's commonly referred to as chick-lit and throw in a decent novel here and there. But, I thrusted myself back into the tween genre of books with Twilight and read that series. I did feel like a superstar blowing through these 500 page books until I remembered they were made for an audience probably half my age.

I just couldn't push the tween novels aside. My co-worker, H, brought this series to my attention and I must say I LOVED it. Sometimes I'm funny with books...like I just can't stand when the main characters are British...everyone suggested the Shop-a-holic series, but it drives me nuts when every other word is bloody or we're talking about going back to their flat. So, if you told me the subject matter of this series, I probably would've stuck my nose up at it saying I'm all set with the sci-fi stuff I know isn't real.

But, I paid for the Kindle version of this book and am glad it was stuck on there and I gave it a shot. This was hands down one of my favorite reads of the past month....

This novel brings you to the country of Panem where the Hunger Games take 2 tributes from the country's 12 different districts to be placed in an arena and the last one standing alive, wins. Sounds a little weird, as it did to me, but on advice of someone who read it told me..give it a chance it's a great read. I finished this book in a little over a day...and the few days later ... I blew through the 2nd and 3rd books of the trilogy as well.

Book 2..Catching Fire

And Book 3...Mockingjay

This series seems to be catching quite the following and you've probably heard of someone who's read it and hopefully loved it as well!

A New Look for 2011

A new year and a new look for the blog! Thanks to SmittenBlog Designs for helping me out with a fresh new look to spruce up Becoming Mrs. Allan!

Local Farm Dinner

The Celestial Cafe is a little restaurant near our house. We've eaten there a number of times and have really enjoyed ourselves. But, they've come out with a monthly Local Farm Dinner, where each course is made of all local ingredients, and it's made us regulars there.

This past weekend, we went to our sixth straight Farm Dinner and it was, once again, fantastic! Our friends tolerated me and the camera phone during dinner so I could snap some pictures and share with you all, something we've made a little monthly get together for the past 6 months.

So..I present to you this month's Farm Dinner...but before I start..in fairness to the Celestial Cafe, I forgot to snap a picture of my first course...a Butternut Squash and Maple Bisque..which was delicious!

Second Course...Cornbread Salad...made of hearty winter salad mix from Ledge Ends Produce and tossed with Kenyon Grist Mill cornbread, onions from Shartner's Farm, with a red Sakonnet wine and herb dressing...

Third Course...one of my favorites...Mini Burger Appetizer...two sliders made with Carpenter's Farm beef topped with Narragansett Creamery cheese, a smoked pepper aioli, Nana's Pickle Mix and mini fries...a vegetarian version with Farming Turtle Shiitake mushrooms was also available..

We couldn't decide who's dish looked better....I think my burgers were beefier

Fourth Course...Winter Lasagna...this knocked all of our socks off...I'm not sure what was better..the whipped sweet potato filling or the sauce...This was made with Whipped Shartner Farm's sweet potatoes, with Narragansett Creamery Ricotta, and layered with homemade pasta made with Pat's Pastured eggs, local kale,  and an herb and garlic drizzle..hmmmm

Lastly..Nana's Apple Pie made with Barden Family Orchard apples and homemade vanilla gelato made with Pat's Pastured Eggs and Rhody Fresh Cream...no offense to Nana, while the pie was good, my apple pie is better.

So, why do I love this dinner so much? I'm over the moon with a restaurant that utilizes local farmers. I also love the menu, where each course has all the ingredients listed, so you know what's in the food you eat. As someone who tries to buy our food locally and support the local farms, I'm familiar with most of these places and know that the meat, eggs, and dairy are all hormone free and I like to help keep these local businesses afloat by supporting them through this Farm Dinner.They also make each dish vegetarian friendly..for example you could get mushroom sliders vs. the beef and the main dish is usually meat optional as well. You also get a glass of a local beer or wine as well!

If you're reading this and you don't live near RI...you can also go to http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Homese or click Here. This website lets you plug in your zip code to find restaurants near you that use local and organic products so you can eat well and support local farmers in your area.

If you're a local RI'er or feel like taking a road trip, check out the Celestial Cafe at www.celestialcaferi.com or click Here and join them for their upcoming February Farm Dinner. (if you're put on their email list..you typically get the menu about 2 weeks beforehand!)