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Tuesday....again, New releases & a CT call.

Well here it is Tuesday....again. Has anyone else been watching the next food networks star? I love that show. I get so many great ideas from watching those chefs compete. I love to cook so its pretty fun to watch. Anyway....one of the recipes this past week was the beer can chicken in the oven with a spice rub on the outside of the chicken. It looked so yummy! And my husband loves chicken, buuuuuttttt, we no longer drink....ever.

So I spent most of the day yesterday trying to figure out how to make that without using beer. So I modified it a bit. We love the flavored teas so I picked up a can of the mango tea by Arizona. I dumped about a third of it in my fabulous mario batali enameled cast iron dutch oven....a wedding gift I totally love....and then mounted the chicken on the can. Let me back up a sec, because I dumped some of the rub into the can before inserting it in the chicken. I cheated on the rub...I was in a hurry...and I picked up a ready made rub from World Market, which I cannot pronounce, but it did mention the "taste of North Africa" on the label. It was a tasty combination of spices including paprika, cumin, nutmeg anise, rose petals, and a few others. I combined about half of the package of that with some brown sugar, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Dumped a little in the can along with a few pinches of red pepper flakes for good measure. Then I rubbed the rest of it on the chicken after I put it on the can....probably backwards, but I didn't want to rub the rub off trying to get it on that can!!! Put it in the oven and roasted that fella til he was done...about an hour or so. Once it was out I took it off the can and poured everything in the can back into my pan and put it on the stove to make a little glaze/sauce....I added potato starch rather than flour or corn starch for thickening (I try to cut out gluten when I can). Served it with rice and pan steamed green beans(with butter...I detest margarine).

It turned out to be quite a tasty improvisation. I think my 11 year old was completely appalled at the perversion done to the chicken for our dinner...he had a really hard time eating it...but he's not much for chicken anyway. The six year old however raved all through dinner how wonderful the chicken was. I think the sweetness in the mango tea, may have helped. He ate his and his brothers and asked for more....which in my house is nearly a miracle....my boys are annoyingly finicky. I do think your kids become less finicky if you starve them real good before feeding them(it was near 8 pm when we sat down to eat)!! Just thought I'd share my little cooking venture. Of course I have no pics, I have been quite slack about taking pictures during July.

My husband's poison ivy is finally beginning to clear up. Apparently he is extremely allergic to it. He has been to the doctor now six times in 2.5 weeks. He has had 2 shots, 2 steroid packs, he's been taking benedryl and was also given allegra and clopex lotion this past friday. He has used every over the counter remedy to seek relief...none of them worked for him. I even put him in a baking soda bath. He's been miserable....poor fella.

Well don't forget its new release day over at digital freebies today. I've released an addon kit to my A Little Elegance kit called "A Little Extra Elegance" as well as the Elegance bracket album. You can pick them both up for 30% off until Monday, August 5 here.

And you know I totally forgot to post last week that I was having a CT call! I guess I'm going to have to extend my call, since I forgot to mention it. I'm pretty laid back, I just need a little help getting layouts and promotion done! And I would like to see layouts made with my kits to help me make a decision...so pick something up. It can be a freebie or two. Right now you can pick up several freebies right here from my blog or from my Designs in Digital Store. I'd love to see what you have to show me.

so here's the fine print:

-2 layouts per kit requested-post to digital freebies, designs in digital and dst
-promote my designs at DST forums or anywhere else
-participate in SGD CT forum

How to apply:send an email to simplegirldesigns@gmail.com with:
-a link to your favorite layout using Simple Girl Designs(you can use any kit or blog freebie, or combination therein, but it must be all SGD product)
-any ct’s you currently serve on (and your handle)-a link to your best gallery
-tell me your favorite element
-anything else you think will convince me! (blinkie makers and preview masters this means you!!!!)

Check back because I'm going to have to extend my call....and maybe there'll be another freebie in it for ya! Plus later this week, there will be mega kits coming out at both stores....fun, fun, fun....and I have some pretty snazzy new releases coming out next week too!

Jeez....where did the weekend go and New Releases!

Can anyone tell me where the weekend went? I can't believe it is already Tuesday. Seems like it was just Friday and I was celebrating the 5000 hit mark with some fabulous freebies!

Well for starters, we spent most of the day Saturday getting my rising middle schoolers room changed over from little boy to big boy. That took some doing. We went through his closet, he has grown so fast, I pulled out three bags of clothing that no longer fits the boy. We got him a new desk and rearranged the room. We've gotta start putting some stuff on the walls, they are looking a little boring. I'll have to get some pics of the newly arranged room posted soon.

Then on Sunday, we had two separate birthday parties to attend in the afternoon, plus I was trying to catch up on laundry. In a house full of boys, there is always a mountain of dirty clothes. Later on Sunday I surprised Alan with tickets to the RUSH concert that evening. His birthday is in August and kinda got pushed to the side with all the wedding stuff last year, so I wanted to make it special for him this year. He was completely excited and suprised and we had a great time!

So my celebration of blog visitors continues. So I am going to make a great offer for all my blog readers that stop by. I have posted a grab bag in my store at Designs in Digital. Its a great deal. Its three mini/sampler kits for three (3) dollars, that's just $1/kit. These are not duplicate items and coordinate with several of my kits available in the store 19 items in all. Click on the bag for more details.


Now take a look at my latest kit, A Little Elegance. I released it at my store at Digital Freebies last week and tomorrow, July 23 it will be released at my store in Designs in Digital. And because Meg the new owner is sooooooo crazzzzzzy generous, you can pick it for the first day for half the price! What a steal!

So mark your calendars, sign up for the DID newsletter, because from now on DID will be releasing new products each Wednesday and every Wednesday new releases will be half price. After that (Thursday-Sunday) they will be 30% off. So even if you can't get into the store on Wednesday, you can still pick up a great deal through the weekend.

And because I'm feeling so generous, here's a super steal. Everyone that buys the new kit, A Little Elegance, from July 23-July 27 will receive this bracket album for FREE! Better get shopping!


Have a great day!

~Tanya

Simple Girl Designs

Whoops....and another freebie

ok.....in an effort to thwart (dontcha just love that word) early birds who hack in to the 4 shared account and download my freebies before I had actually released them I had so cleverly checked the box "only publisher can download" and then went and unchecked it this morning when 5000 hits were counted. Unfortunately.....I overlooked the special save button next to that box and hit the one at the bottom instead.

Sooooooooo.....all the 200 folks that stopped by looking for the freebie got an error message. Jeez....I was too smart for myself. So I have fixed that and the link should work just peachy keen so give it a whirl again and if it doesn't work...Please leave me a comment letting me know if its still not working. And just because I value your time, especially those who stopped by twice. I've uploaded another little goodie just to say thanks and sorry for the oops! I was saving it for another freebie day....but....I felt so bad, just wanted to give you a little something!!

Download here
from my store at Designs in Digital
or here

5000 Hits & counting!

Well, you did it! I hit the Magic number, 5000! So, I'm throwing a little party to celebrate 5000 hits and have a fabulous party treat for ya!


Just for stopping by today you can get a door prize! A teaser kit for free just cause I think its pretty cool that I've had 5000 visits to my blog.

download it here
from my store at Designs in Digital

or here

I'll be back later to post more party news. Just wanted to get this out to you right away!
~Tanya
Simple Girl Designs