Do you ever wake up and just have this huge sense of feeling overwhelmed?

Like maybe you start doubting yourself and start to question your path?

Or maybe you come to find out that your immense passion for one thing in your life has subsided and all of a sudden a deep longing to step into a field that is so obscure and out there, and completely and utterly risky, but keeps calling your name.

I know that feeling….

I’ve had that feeling…

Let me let you all in a little secret, ssshhhhh just between me and you…

I used to dance!

Yep, for real… I did, for 16 years!  I danced jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and ballet, though my ballet years were only done due to not having a choice, but my most passionate was contemporary and hip-hop.  From dancing and learning in the States to being taught ballet in France and traveling all around was one of the best times, I can say in my life.

I know, you may find it hard to believe… you may even be chuckling right now. 🙂

I was also very good at it, (I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but just saying)!

I guess what I am trying to get at is, although my love for dance and the arts is enormous and will never go away, I found that my love in the kitchen was just as great and I knew I had to follow it.

One day as I was making my rounds visiting all of my different fellow food blogging friends, I came across a food blog that instantly pulled at my heart.  Kari, is her name and she writes at Anticiplate.  Before venturing into cooking gourmet food, which Kari says is her most favorite, she was a ballet dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet.  If any of you are strangers into the ballet world this is a huge deal for a dancer, especially a ballet trained dancer.

As a child you work so hard and so many grueling hours to be given an opportunity to showcase your love for the art, and be asked to be part in a notable ballet company, that when I read that Kari quit dancing with Pacific Northwest, to jump into cooking I was shocked and instantly proud of a fellow ballerina.

You may think that this is not a big deal, but it is a Grandiose Big Deal, especially when you are promoted to corps de ballet.  So big that I am sure Kari agonized over her decision for quite sometime.  If you read her blog and her journey that she has been going though since August of 2009, where she wrote a food blog called Summer Spoon that documented her internship in a restaurant kitchen that undoubtedly led to her quitting the Pacific Northwest, you would automatically welcome her into the land of the cooking world.

I know I have, and I cannot wait to hear more about her journey!

What is it about french toast that just makes ones heart go pitter pater?

Is it the smell of bread soaked in milk and eggs with vanilla that just calls to our hearts?

Or maybe its the combination of cinnamon and sugar that does us in…

For me… its the moment I smell the fresh baked bread dipped in the cinnamon-sugar mixture that gets me everytime.

Mmmmmmm, just thinking of it makes my mouth start to water.

Try these little French Toast Kebabs and tell me if your heart starts to pitter patter like mine did 😉 Oh and don’t forget the strawberry syrup, now that’s a winner!

Enjoy!
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(Image: I Shutter/Flickr)

Dear Reader,

I know that I have been all consumed with prepping, cooking, cleaning and entertaining this past week.  I know that I have been far away and not very communicative in the last few days.  I apologize.  Just like you, I too spent a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday with my loved ones and had a fantastic time, eating, talking, and catching up on lost times.  From The beautiful Roasted Turkey to the Sweet Potatoes, which were one of the biggest hits, to the pièce de résistance the Chocolate Pecan Pie.

It was a good weekend.  Besides gorging on turkey and hanging with family, shopping was also thrown in to the  mix and I can officially say Christmas is around the corner.

Today is Sunday, the day of relaxation, all of my family have left and the house is peaceful and quiet, well as quiet as it can be with two kids running around… But it is relaxing.

So I wanted to leave you with a little note of relaxation and calm before the weekend is fully over.

Take a moment, like this ladybug, and relax on that big comfy couch by the window and grab a book, you know I will.

Enjoy!

Love,

Tasha
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(Image: DaDaAce/Flickr)

So the countdown is on and there’s only two more days till Thanksgiving is here.  As you all know I have pretty much been planning this menu for the past couple of months.  If your anything like me you find yourself in the kitchn on days end just thinking and cooking and making all of that yumminesss for the big day.

I know for me right before Thanksgiving comes along I like to just try and take a few moments to myself and just breathe and relax with my family before all guests and friends surround us.  I am sure that I am not the only person who feels this way either. Whether that means taking an hour or so and going for a walk or run for fresh air, or maybe even just watching a great movie with my kiddies and curling up together on the couch.

How about you, how do you get ready for this big day?

Paula Jones is the fabulous food writer and recipe developer over at Bell’Alimento.  Paula specializes in Italian cuisine and brings to us mouth watering, tantalizing photos of some of the most exquisite, yet easy recipes.

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Are you always looking for an easy peasy recipe for cornish hens?

I know I am.  I always like to mix it up a little by not just serving chicken, beef, or even pork.  A little variety is always good in my household.  That’s why I knew I wanted to serve Cornish hen for dinner the other night.

Especially with Thanksgiving coming up this week, I knew I wanted to give you all a different version to stuffed turkey.  Ina Garten’s Cornish Hen recipe and Cornbread Stuffing is incredible and super easy.

Trust me this hen is tasteful with just the little ingredients on its own.

Hope you Enjoy!
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I Love You!

I really do love you… and you… and you… and you… and especially you!

I love you all so much and I want to make all of your lives easier.  How does that sound to you?  Are you interested at all?

Have I peaked your interest just a little bit?!?  If I have then that’s GREAT!

I don’t know about any of you but rice is a very popular dish in my household.  If possible it would be consumed every single day… that’s right I didn’t stutter… EVERY SINGLE DAY!

First ask yourself these questions:

Do you eat a lot of rice?

Does your rice ever taste mushy and not cooked through?  Or maybe the rice is still grainy and you didn’t put enough water when boiling.

If this is you then don’t worry, because I’m here to help alongside Success Rice.  That’s right, I’m teaming up with Success Rice to help those in need of easy hassle free rice in a bag.  Each Success Rice Box contains 4 bags of rice!  Each bag contains 2 cups/servings per bag making it great for making small meals or meals for just 1 or 2!  If that doesn’t sound good then listen to some of the healthy benefits Success rice provides: cholesterol free, sodium free, fat free, trans fat free, gluten free, and a great source of folic acid. It also comes in Brown and Jasmine rice varieties!

WIN IT!

FIVE different winners will EACH win a voucher for any 14 ounce box of Success Rice.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter visit the Success Rice site and then leave a comment on this post telling me one recipe that rice would be used in.

BONUS ENTRIES – Oh So Yummy!

* – Subscribe to my Yummy Updates Newsletter. (at top of sidebar)
* – Subscribe to my RSS feed. (at top of page)
* – Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here
* – Tweet this giveaway
* – Friend me on Facebook – ThatsSoYummy Fan Page
* – Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.

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To tell you the honest truth I never understood the differences between dressing and stuffing.  To me these two words always came upon and questioned my thinking during Thanksgiving time.  I guess due to the oh so many fall recipes that are running around dressing and stuffing was bound to be right there on the top of the list.

If any of you are like me I am sure you have sat down at the table and asked friends and family what the big confusion was with dressing and stuffing.  As if you are discussing politics heated conversations arise and voices become louder trrying to get their point across.

Oh, well maybe that only happens in my loud family! 😛

Well let me put that talk to rest this Thanksgiving for you… Dressing and Stuffing are the same thing.  There is absoultely no difference in ingredients.  They both can be made with the same things.

Huh! you ask yourself.

Allow me to continue with this little revelation.
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(Image: Rafa from Brazil/Flickr)

Costco will no longer be carrying Coca-Cola products in its stores nationwide because of a pricing dispute with the beverage maker. Although neither Costco nor Coca-Cola officials wanted to comment on the ongoing negotiations, a Coca-Cola official said the company wanted to work out its differences with Costco “in a spirit of fairness.”

Coca-Cola products include, not only its namesake soft drink, but also Sprite, Squirt, Dasani water and Full Throttle energy drinks.

Do you drink Coke? If so where do you buy your Coca-Cola from?
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Its that time of season again where pumpkin spice is used in everything from pumpkin pie, to pumpkin cinnamon rolls, all the way to pumpkin biscuits.  I know lots of pumpkin.  But did you know that to make this special blend its as easy as 1…2…3…

Yep, all you need are a few ingredients and you too can have the luxury of having your own Pumpkin Pie Spice in your own pantry. If I know any better I’m pretty sure you already have all of these ingredients in your pantry.

Here is a simple, 5 minute recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Perfect for  pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, cakes, cookies and custard.  Yummy!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Stir together spices and then just store in a glass container.

Good to go… now start baking! 🙂
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