A Culinary Classic

The other day, my 15 year old called me at work asking how to turn on the stove. Distraught in my failure to equip my kids to care for themselves, first on my agenda is to teach them the basics of cooking just as soon as I learn. After high school, I was employed as a short order cook where I essentially heated and assembled food. There are lots of cooking shows and the internet is bulging with recipes but what I really wanted was a good tool for learning the basics. Ultimately, my search landed on Chef Todd Mohr’s “Burn Your Recipes DVD Series: The Complete Cooking Collection” where he proclaims “Cooking is NOT about recipes. It’s about learning the fundamentals and then applying that knowledge with your own creativity to ANY recipe”.

2 for 1 Fine Dining

There’s nothing like an occasional nice dinner out but it can be spendy unless you’ve discovered Restaurant.com. Enter your zip code and you will be presented with ample list of participating fine dining establishments in your area where you can purchase certificates at a discounted rate. For example, $10 can buy you a $25 certificate provided you spend at least $35 to include an 18% gratuity ($41.30 total). Just print and present your certificate and your server will adjust your bill accordingly. That in itself is a great deal but it gets even better. Restaurant.com regularly offers promotional discounts by as much as 80% off provided you know the promo code (see Savvy Shopper Secrets). That means for as little as $2, you can purchase a $25 discount. Accordingly, if the total price equals $41.30, the out-of-pocket expense is $18.30 ($41.30 – $25 +$2= $18.30). Since the certificates have no expiration date, it might be wise to purchase a multitude during the promotional period as they make a great gift as well. I’ve personally used these certificates with great success. I’m not aware of other similar such deals but if there are, please consider sharing. Bon Appetit! [Jhn 7:8]

Smartphone Productivity

I find that my productivity (or lack thereof) affects my outlook on life. If you’re like me, you take your mobile phone most everywhere. With a Smartphone I can not only cram more productivity into my day but I can also be more organized and efficient as well. For example, when driving, I can listen to MP3 news stories or sermons that I’ve downloaded. My kids have lots of friends and sleepovers making the GPS navigation a time saving godsend. When in meetings, I can view my calendar and schedule new appointments on the fly. Any idle time can be used to jot down a thought or task. I can

Savvy Shopper Secrets

Buying local usually means paying retail. If you’re patient, you can usually save a bundle buying it online. Today, most merchandise can be found on Amazon.com where the buyer has access to customer reviews and can compare alternative products. Once you know which product is right for you, Google’s product search will yield savings from top rated sellers. When finalizing the transaction, the purchaser buyer will almost always be presented with a “promo code” field where even more savings can be realized with knowledge of the secret code. What you may not know, there are internet communities that share these promo codes if you are willing to do a little digging. I’ve had good luck finding valid discount codes. Here you’ll find a review and list of the  top 10 online coupon services including links to the various free services. The point is, an internet savvy shopper can consistently and safely achieve savings with little effort and from the convenience of an easy chair. [Proverbs 16:16]

Work Smart Not Hard

There are lots of little things that we can do to improve our lives and turning it into a game is sure to make you a winner. Your trek here means you seek the treasure of a more full life and that you'll take action to achieve. Information is the jewels this blog promises to provide. Now image the force multiplying affect of many, just like you, sharing tips, strategies and opportunities at one location to the benefit of all. That’s the vision of this blog and the promise of the internet. Living large doesn’t need to be hard and with a community of like minded people it’s not only possible, it’s unstoppable. Join with me and let the journey begin. [Mat 13:44]