Tuna Steaks with Avocado Salsa Recipe

Every once in a while you come across a recipe or photo that just makes you drool and you think....I have to have that! Last weekend I had one of those moments when Stefan Pinto who started the C Diet shared a photo of Albacore Tuna with cilantro and sweet peppers. So what is one to do when they see something they must try? Put their own spin on it of course.

Tuna Steaks with Avocado Salsa

2 Tuna Steaks
Sea Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Olive Oil
1 whole ripe avocado
Red Onion (3 tbsp chopped)
Roma tomato (3 tbsp chopped)
Spanish Olives (1-2 tbsp chopped)
Garlic (finely chopped)
Lime

Prior to cooking your fish lets prepare the avocado salsa. Finely chop your onion, tomatoes, olives and garlic. Lastly cut your avocado into small bite sized pieces. The avocado is the showcase of this salsa so  you want them a bit bigger then the rest of the ingredients. Squeeze in some lime juice next. I love lime juice so I ended up using half a lime just for the salsa. If you want to add a bit of kick to your salsa sprinkle with a little dash of cayenne pepper. Now mix it all together and let sit in the fridge until your fish is ready to serve.

Season your tuna steaks with the Sea Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper.  Pour two teaspoons of Olive Oil into a small pan. Depending on how you like you Tuna cooking times will vary. If you want it a bit rare cook 2-3 minutes on each side. If you want it cooked fully then cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Once the Tuna is cooked to your liking squeeze on a little bit of lime juice.

You really don't need to have a side dish with this meal because it is filling just as is. But if you are one of those types of people that has to have a side I would pair this with a baby greens salad. Maybe make additional avocado salsa and top it with that instead of dressing. And now I am craving a taco salad. May have to share my recipe for that next!

Ways to Relieve Childrens Allergies

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew and as part of the program I received product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.

Last week I had the opportunity to host a Spring In Your Step Moms Meet-Up which was sponsored by Children’s Claritin. It's always nice to get together with other Moms who actually understand what allergy season means to my kids and I.  We are mid season into that grand ole time that I like to refer to as our Sneezy Season...aka Allergy Season. I remember writing about allergies last year and being thankful that my youngest seems to be unaffected by allergies but this year he has been showing signs of having them. But I am thankful that at least it's only seasonal/airborne allergies and not food allergies (have to think positively right). In addition to giving my children their daily Children's Claritin I wanted to share a few natural remedies that you could use in addition to Claritin to help ease you through this particularly annoying time of year.

1. Neti Pots: I know this may not be everyones cup o tea, and if you are easily scared by the unordinary or messes then I do not recommend attempting this. If you are not squeamish then forge ahead because these little pots are a great way to flush out your nasal cavity of allergens and it will loosen mucus.

2. Saline Sprays: Pretty much the same thing you use in a Neti pot but is easier to apply/spray in your nose.

3. Air filters!: High-efficiencyparticulate air (HEPA) filters are the best one's to purchase for allergy sufferers because they are better at trapping allergens such as dander and dust as opposed to a standard air filter. We have these in our home because who wants to be miserable in their own home?

4. Honey: You know they say milk does a body good but so does honey, more specifically local honey. Why does local make a difference to store bought brands? Well when a bee local to your area makes honey they are making it with pollens local to your area. By ingesting the honey daily ( even just a spoon full in your tea works) you will start to build an immunity to those pollens which in turns means your allergies will not be as bad.

5. Spicy food: Ever heard someone say "it was so spicy it cleared my sinuses"? Well that statement is true. While it is only temporary it can still help while in a pinch. What foods work best? For me personally I prefer horseradish or raw garlic. Either one of those will definitely get your eyes watery and open your nasal passages.

6. Hot or Cold Compress: Now this is not a remedy per say but it can help with pains associated with allergies such as a sinus headache and sinus pressure. Some people swear by a hot compress and other swear by a cold one. I think it's more of a whatever works for you kind of deal. By laying a compress either across your forehead or over your eyes so it covers your nasal cavity can help temporarily relieve sinus pressure. This method works really well for my daughter who has really bad allergies.

7. Wash wash wash. Washing your hands and face is highly underrated. Keeping your hands clean means you are less likely to rub allergens onto your eyes. The same applies for washing your face. When my daughters allergies are really bad she knows to go to the bathroom and wash her face off. Again this may only provide temporary relief but when your allergy pains are bad temporary relief can make a huge difference.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest some of these for children, especially the spicy foods one unless you have a brave kiddo. But the honey is perfect for the younger one's especially since it's sweet. My kids love having a tablespoon of honey in a cup of tea. Hot or cold doesn't matter they just love the sweetness of it. 

There you have it, my personal tips and tricks to use during allergy season for all of our kids as well as for my husband and I. Also I got to share these with the Moms at our get together so I wanted to share this checklist with you, my readers as well. If you'd like to download the full pdf file click HERE.

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew and as part of the program I received product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation took place. As always thoughts and opinions expressed herein are mine. 

Taste of Atlantic City preview

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  a Special thanks to Harrah's for giving us the opportunity to attend the Taste of AC Preview. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Friday June 7th while in Atlantic City Caesar's invited us to head over to Harrah's Resort for a preview of whats to come in July's Taste of Atlantic City event. If you love to cook, love to eat or can simply appreciate a beautiful dish then I highly recommend checking out the Taste of Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. The Festival will run from July 25th through July 28th. During this four day event there will be a star-studded roster full of the world's most renowned culinary experts and TV personalities such as Robert Irvine, The Neely's (LOVE them) Rocco DiSpirto, Laurie Forster and more! 

During our tasting we were given the chance to not only taste some absolutely amazing food but we also got to meet the Chefs that created these dishes. 

Our Taste of AC was not just a feast for the pallet but it was to the eyes as well . If I were one who couldn't bare to eat a dish simply because of it's presentation that I would have gone hungry that night. Good thing I didn't let that stop me because everything I tried was absolutely amazing. 

The first dish I sampled was the Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche. I am a huge ceviche fan and haven't been able to find it here in Oklahoma since we moved here two years ago. I will say I was a little thrown at first by the scallops that were in it since my experience with scallops hasn't necessarily been a positive one but I am glad to say that has changed. The scallops added a slightly different flavor yet similar texture to the shrimp so it wasn't a drastic change if compared to classic ceviche. The flavors were robust without being overwhelming and I personally loved being able to taste a hint of citrus throughout the dish.

Next up was Mini Crab Cakes served on bed of mixed greens atop of a light yet full flavored lemon cream sauce. When I initially saw the sauce I assumed it was some type of tartar sauce but I am so glad that was not the case. The Crab cakes were crunchy on the outside and deliciously perfect on the inside. Not too dry and not too moist crab is the only way to have a crab cake. Too dry and you just can't eat it an enjoy it. Too moist and it because soggy. The lemon cream sauce with the greens and shallots only enhanced the crab cakes flavors. This was hands down my favorite tasting of the night.

The Plantain Empanadas were topped with a Chipotle sauce & a dash of Queso Fresco to tie it all together. I have never had empanadas before so I had no idea what to expect but the milk and creaminess of the plantains combined with the bite of the chipotle was absolutely amazing. 

One dish you can no go wrong with is the classic Meatballs with Marinara sauce, basil and Parmigiano Reggiano. I joke with my husband that I am glad we got married because I finally got my wish to be part of an Italian family. That wish is strictly just so I could indulge in all the Italian food I want LOL Or maybe I was an Italian in my past life. Either way these meatballs were divine. I am very picky about my meatballs, more so with marinara sauce and both of these were prepared to perfection. 

Lastly we have the Mini Mushroom Truffle Grissini. When I first saw it I thought it was a quiche. Shhhh don't laugh. I had no idea what a Grissini is, I may or may not have had to look it up. The best way to describe this dish is actually similar to a quiche except instead of using a pie crust they use a more heartier substance such as crispy breadsticks ground down to make a crust. So the consistency is a little different but taste wise they are very similar. The filling I still don't grasp what all it involved but I do know it has mushrooms and truffles (not sure if they used the oil or shaved pieces) and it pared together perfectly. Again this was another dish that can easily dry out if over cooked but it was baked just right. 

Looking through all of these photos I wish I was back there right now doing another sampling. If you end up attending the festival be sure to tweet our your photos so we can all see the amazing dishes the Chefs have prepared. Also make note that the Taste of Atlantic City even is not just in one location but actually across all four of the casinos and resorts that are under the Caesar's Entertainment Atlantic City umbrella which include Caesar's, Harrah's Resort, Showboat AC and Bally's. 

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  a Special thanks to Harrah's for giving us the opportunity to attend the Taste of AC Preview. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

JerseyLove, Our trip to Belmar

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

I along with 39 other amazing women were part of the #JerseyLove social good retreat in Atlantic City about two weeks ago. Wow I still can't believe it was two weeks ago already. Our goal for this trip....to bring back tourism to the shore! I recently read an article by PR Web that said together we reached over 5 million people with 80 million Twitter impressions! Seriously folks do you know how awesome this is? To have that kind of reach for a Social Good trip is a beautiful thing and shows the power of Social Media.

On Friday the 7th we headed over to D'Jais in Belmar for a day of fun in the sun. Only when we got there it was less sunny and more of a misty cloudy day. Some may have been bummed or worried we wouldn't be able to surf but I was in heaven. The smell of the sea water, the cool breeze, the mist in the air and I swear I could smell the sand. It was all amazing and I was just too happy to be back near the ocean to be worried about anything. Alas I was not the only one who wouldn't be swayed and there was surfing adventures to be had along with surf skimming. Are you wondering what surf skimming is? I had no idea until meeting up with Ben from D6 Sports. But I am getting ahead of myself. First lets talk about the amazing time we had while at D'Jais.

At D’Jais we all gathered around to present the Mayor, Mayor Matt with a $5,000 donation from the amazing D6 Sports crew for the Belmar Relief and Recovery Foundation. It was a very emotional moment for many of us there but a moment none of us would have missed for the world. I have never met a mayor of any town prior to this moment, but I am honored that I was in Mayor Matts presence that day. He was such an eloquent speaker and I absolutely loved that he thought of women's and mother's opinions when talking about cleaning up the beach and rebuilding it. Afterwards we were served more amazing food. You know the salad with the cranberries, walnuts and feta with raspberry vinaigrette that everyone has raved about for oh boy forever now? Yeah I tried it for the first time while we were there and I actually had two helpings of it. It was that good.

After lunch a few of us took to the ocean along with the D6 Sports crew and some surf instructors for lessons on using Hang Ten surfboards. While the adults were mastering the art of surfing the kids were having a blast trying out the D6 SurfSkimmer.

Our amazing group of instructors.

An instructor modeling the surf skimmer for us.

It was so much fun watching the kids concentrate on what they had to do and try try try as hard as they could to master the SurfSkimmer. One thing I personally loved about the Surf Skimmer is that it has the handle. Having that handle makes a huge difference in helping little one's keep their balance while skimming along the water. And as your child gets older and/or get's the hang of the board you can remove the handle for a more tradition skimmer experience. Ben was amazing with the kids by going out there and showing them what exactly they needed to instead of just telling them. I am sure that made understand what was needed to be done in order to master the Surf Skimmer all the more easier for the kids to grasp.

If you are a beach going family be sure to check out the D6 Surf Skimmer, and as an added bonus type in "jerseylove"  to take 20% off your board. If you'd like to learn more about D6 check out their Facebook page, Twitter and Website for all of the latest news. 

If you are in interested in learning more about D'Jais you can find them on Facebook, Twitter and their Website. Also my friend Lisa posted a very touching post about D'Jais personal story and dealing with the after affects of Hurricane Sandy here. Also if you are local or ever in the area and are close enough to go eat at D'Jais may I suggest the Disco Fries. Don't let the description scare you off, they.are.amazing! Seriously best fries I have ever had. 

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Monsters University 3D in theaters now!

Disclaimer:  I received a complementary pass to see this movie with my family, I was not paid to attend the screening or to write this post. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Monsters University finally hits the theaters today! The kids and I attended a screening of the movie last week and let me tell you something, I haven't laughed that hard at a animated movie in a long time. Actually seeing Monsters Inc. may have been the last time so it was fabulous to see that even though this was a pre-qual to that they still made a family friendly, heart warming yet comical movie. I've professed my love for Disney many a times but dude really they are amazing. To pull off those three qualities in a single movie is a great feat. 

If you haven't seen the trailer to the movie yet watch this.........

Ever since Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he had one dream....to become a Scarer. Now a college student at Monsters University he tries harder then any other monster there to prove his worth and show everyone there that he is the best Scarer. But not everything goes as planned. During his first semester at college Mike’s plans go awry when he butts heads with hotshot James P. Sullivan, Sulley (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer and son of the famous Phil Sullivan. 

Sulley and ROR...Roar Omega Roar aka the "cool" kids

Dean Hardscrabble. Totally scary looking and for a second I was worried she might have actually scared my kids but she's not all that scary deep down, she may even surprise you.

The "underdogs" Oozma Kappa aka OK. This group of characters were hilarious both as individuals but even more so as a group. 

Mike and Sulley's competitive nature ends up getting them both kicked out of MU's Scare Program. As if that wasn't bad enough, to add salt to the wound they realize in order to try and get back into the program and prove themselves worthy they will have to work together with a group of underdogs. It's a wonderful story of acceptance  friendship, values and character. In short I absolutely recommend this movie for both kids and adults and Moms beware there is a scene or two that may tear you up a little bit.

You can follow MU on Facebook at facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity as well as Twitter at twitter.com/disneypixar. 

Disclaimer:  I received a complementary pass to see this movie with my family, I was not paid to attend the screening or to write this post. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Announcing Disney's newest film, FROZEN

Disney is on a roll lately with all the amazing movies they have been releasing, and they aren't slowing down! I just received word that they are coming out with another movie set to release on November 27th called FROZEN. First things first, watch this trailer.

Okay now lets discuss. Is that not an awesome trailer or what? Seriously I was busting up and feeling guilty that I was watching it without the kids I called them into my office and we all watched it together. We may have watched it three or four times already. 

Here's a brief summary of the new movie:
Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) teams up with a rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey where they encounter Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf all in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. 

I can't wait to take my daughter to see this, maybe my boys will come too since there is a male character in it as well, and it looks funny but no matter what my daughter and I will definitely be seeing this in November!

And of course to keep up on all the current happenings for FROZEN be sure to follow them on the following social networks....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyAnimation

Official website: http://www.disney.com/frozen  

Atlantic City Boardwalk Light Show #JerseyLove

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Our very first night in Atlantic City was a wee bit hectic. With all the flight problems many of us seemed to have we ended up landed a little later then we had anticipated which meant we didn't check in as early as we had hoped so it was a mad rush to get ready for the welcome dinner that evening. After we shoved our faces with some of the most delicious food I have ever had the pleasure of eating, mingling, taking photos, drinking some local wines and more photo taking many went off to their rooms for the night.

A group of six of us who were miraculously wide awake and ready to explore decided hey lets go check out the boardwalk. Sherry who is semi local to the area immediately suggested we go watch the Light Show right on the boardwalk since they recently started it back up, so off we went to watch the show. Location wise was absolutely perfect since it was within walking distance from Caesars Atlantic City.

The 3D light and sound show lasted approximately fifteen minutes and was really fun to watch. They went through eight decades of music history that included 20s Rag Time, 30s Cotton Club, 40s Broadway Musicals, 60s Surf Music, 70s Disco, 80s Pop and 90s Hard Rock (woot). The light show was time perfectly to whatever music was playing. One thing that is awesome about this show is that is is free and open to the public! No tickets needed just come to the boardwalk and enjoy the show. The show is played every night during the weekends every half hour from 9:30pm to 1:30am. On the weekdays it is played from 9:30 pm until midnight during the whole summer. I'm hoping to be able to get back to AC and bring my kids to see this show.

If you would like to go watch the show it is located on Boardwalk Hall. You can find Boardwalk Hall at 2301 Boardwalk on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in between Georgia and Mississippi Avenue at Kennedy Plaza.

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to attend this trip or to write this post. Lodging, food and events were provided by Caesar’s Entertainment & D6 Sports.  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Take the It Can Wait pledge today

Did you know that those that send texts while driving are 23 times more like to be in a car crash then those that do not? I had no idea the statistics were that high and honestly that's a downright scary number. I've posted before about how scary the statistics are turning for those that text and drive, heck even talking on the phone, looking for directions, tweeting, etc. Trust me, I get it, we are a technology society but just like admitting an addiction we as a society need to realize the dangers that these electronics pose for not only ourselves but to our children as well. Monkey see monkey do runs true no matter what anyone says. If your kids see you texting and driving they wont see anything wrong with it when they turn 16 and get their first set of wheels. Is that the kind of example you want to se for your children? 

I am no saint but I am trying my damnedest to not text and drive. Most of the time it's seriously simple, especially if you leave your phone on vibrate and in your purse like I tend to do. Out of site out of mind hence no temptation. But there are the occasional times say when I am lost or running late somewhere that I, without thinking grab my phone to text for directions or quickly say I am running late. 99% of the time I wait until I am at a stop but I admit, there are those few times I grab it while driving. That is what I am pledging to not do anymore. I do not want to set that as an example for my children and let them think it's okay to be distracted while driving. 

So today I took the pledge not just for myself but for my children. Will you take the pledge with me? To take the pledge visit It Can Wait. You can sign up via Facebook, the entire process takes less then five minutes. If you do decide to join this movement be sure to come back and let me know so I can virtually give you a high five!

Wordless Wednesday - A day at Belmar

Last week I had the honor to go on the first ever Social Good retreat, Jersey Love where I got to meet the most amazing women. I could gush all day about how much I love them, that's how amazing everyone was. But the one thing that hit me the most was visiting Belmar. As soon as I stepped out of the car it was as if I got hit in the face by a brick wall of amazing. The smell from the ocean was an instant flash back for me and it smelled absolutely wonderful. I almost broke down into tears just from the smell alone. But then I walked off alone to put my feet in the water and it was as if every thing just rushed away. I felt....home.

If you didn't know the Belmar boardwalk was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy. In seven short months

the town has rebuilt all 1.3 miles of it destroyed boardwalk. 

A few weeks ago at a ceremony for the efforts made towards the shore Mayor Matt Doherty said "We promised that a new boardwalk would be built in time for Memorial Day, and today I can proudly say we have delivered." And delivered they have! Not only is the boardwalk new and beautiful but they have playgrounds along the beach for the children as well as plans to add showers for easier clean up after spending the day at the beach. If you've ever gone to the beach you know how huge it is to have a shower for a quick rinse off before heading home. 

Look ma I see a surfer out in the distance. Can you spot him?

 
These ladies rocked the waves!

Be sure to check out the links below from other lovely ladies that attended this amazing trip. Thank you again to Caesars Atlantic City, D6 Surf Skimmers & D'Jais for everything! You guys are truly amazing.

Invisalign, the new alternative to metal braces

This is a Sponsored Post. The company who sponsored this post compensated me via cash payment, gift or something else of value to write this post. Regardless of payment I only recommend products and/or services that I would personally use and that I believe to be a good fit for my readers.

Eight years, that's how long I had braces. Eight painstaking YEARS. Whenever I discuss my braces story with friends or even new Dentists they all say pretty much the same thing, "eight years is a really long time". You're telling me folks.

It all started the year the photo on the left was taken, look how bitty I was. Ignore the awesomeness that is known as the fanny pack, jelly shoes, leggings and over sized sweater worn as a dress. Yeah it was the late 80's early 90's what can I say. I didn't get my braces off until right before high school. So all through elementary and middle school I had braces. To say I didn't smile often would be an understatement. Or if I did smile I did it with my mouth closed because in addition to the braces I also had to do the rubber band from my top teeth to my bottom teeth. Two rubber bands in my mouth to be changed daily. The only thing I was fortunate not to have to get was head gear. I ended up getting so used to smiling with my mouth closed that even to this day I do not like to smile with my mouth open. What I wouldn't have given to not have to deal with braces. And to think Invisalign started being used by Orthodontists in 1999, one year after I had my braces removed. 

Invisalign has brought the world of brace's to a whole new level. By taking away metal braces and introducing removable aligners they have quickly become the favored choice between adults and teens alike. By using a series of clear plastic aligners that fit flat on your teeth you take away the pain from getting metal braces adjusted, use of rubber bands, possible cuts from metal wires coming loose or brackets falling off. I experienced all of the above with my braces, I even had a wire pop off and go straight into my cheek! 

Benefits of using Invisalign:

• Because you can remove the aligners there are no restrictions on what you can or can't eat! That's right no more grabbing a giant jaw breaker and gnawing on that just because you were told you weren't allowed to.
• Adults, teens and even pre-teens can smile with confidence while using the aligners because unlike metal braces Invisalign aligners are almost invisible. 
• Since you don't need to constantly have adjustments done as you do with metal braces you will have fewer orthodontic visits. For us busy moms this is big as I am sure it is for teens as well, because who wants to be bogged down going to the ortho every week.
• You can start seeing progress with your teeth in as little as 90 days! 
• And one of my favorite benefits is NO more goopy clay like molds that make you gag as it drips down your throat....shudders, that is one feeling I will never forget.

Okay now in all honesty here, can you tell she's wearing aligners? I can't and as a former braces wearer I think it's awesome and I may or may not be slightly jealous of the amazing options that are available now. Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? If so, what was their experience? Would you consider getting Invisalign?

If you'd like to learn more about invisible braces offered by Invisalign you can visit their website here. You can also find them onTwitter as well as Facebook. An interesting tool they have is the Smile Assessment where you fill out questions and they will send you an email with results of why Invisalign could be a good option for your or your teen.

This is a Sponsored Post. The company who sponsored this post compensated me via cash payment, gift or something else of value to write this post. Regardless of payment I only recommend products and/or services that I would personally use and that I believe to be a good fit for my readers.

Join us tomorrow for the #JerseyLove Twitter Party

Come join us June 3rd (tomorrow!) at 6:00pm PST / 9:00pm EST for what is sure to be an amazing twitter party. To celebrate the launch of D6 Surf Skimmer we are having a party, and what better way to invite all of your friends then to do in on Twitter where everyone can come! We will be talking about surfing, skimming, beach fun and so much more!

Make sure you follow the hosts of this awesome chat @D6SurfSkimmer @SMMoms @DawnSandomeno @hollywoodhotmom @njdigitalmoms 

You can join in using the custom Tweetgrid http://bit.ly/1163gqw or just search for the #JerseyLove #SurfSkimmer #HangTen hashtag.

Want to win a D6 Surfskimmer and Beach Bags? Tweet to win and follow #JerseyLove #HangTen and #SurfSkimmer hastags!  You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter below to be entered!

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