Grow Garden Grow

People probably think I'm crazy when they see me out taking pictures in the garden, but I like to keep a record of what I planted and how it's grown. It is amazing to see the changes. It's only July - but who cares - here's a summer in pictures of our garden.

April 2011 - Construction begins 

May 2011 - Construction is complete.

The first plants to be transplanted were our raspberries and blueberries. Here they are - a month or so after transplant.

Raspberries - getting started and preparing to mulitply

Blueberries - recovering after transplant shock. Lettuce, Spinach, and Swiss chard growing below.

The tomatoes are in!

Corn and Green Beans - a few weeks after planting

That's how it all started - but look at it now!

Garden in full bloom - July 2011

Blueberries have finished, the lettuces are ready to bolt, the spinach is long gone, and the swiss chard is still producing well

Tomatoes - heavy with green fruit

Tomato clusters

Tomatoes - up close

One Broccoli has already finished producing florets and it's space will be filled with fall growing spinach

Basil peeking out between the Broccoli rows will get to steal the sun once the broccoli are finished.

The onions and carrots are just about ready to pick - this is an onion.The  potatoes have already been eaten. :)

Look how big the corn and beans have grown! The three sisters (corn, bean, and zucchini) have worked well together. We are pulling out a lot of beans and zucchini and no one is crowded for space.

We have corn ears!

Look how much the raspberries have spread - in only one season! 

The strawberries are spreading and are taking over the rock wall - yeah!

The bottom line: our garden rocked this year. We had a few low yielding plants because of the non-stop rain, but our perennial plants have made big growth gains (berries). We tried new plants (like potatoes and broccoli!) and we've learned a lot for next year.

Donate your Coke Rewards Points for Schools to buy supplies!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of My Coke Rewards for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

If you haven't already signed up for My Coke Rewards - now is the time to do it! Now you can donate points to your school!  Visit My Coke rewards for schools and register to donate your points to schools to help them refresh activities and play. 

Are you a school administrator? Then sign up your school to receive donations.

Schools can redeem donated points for the things they need like classroom supplies, sports equipment, books, and more. And what school couldn't use these things?  

And it gets better. Between July 13 and September 30, Sprite is giving away 25 playgrounds, worth $25,000, to school and are giving consumers who purchase and enter a code from any Sprite or Sprite Zero package an entry into the sweepstakes to help their school win.

I collect My Coke Rewards from my husband's poker night stash, and I finally feel like I have something worthwhile to spend them on. Plus, every Sprite code equals an entry into the sweepstakes. Woo!

Every 3 points donated to the school through the Sprite Spark Parks for Schools sweepstakes will give the school additional chances. Any new school that registers will be given a chance to win.

Get your school registered!! These are great contests and when I've seen them in the past, very few schools enter, so the odds that your school could receive free equipment or supplies is good! During budget crunches like we are experiencing now, this is the best time to act.

If you are unfamiliar with how the My Coke Rewards program works, let me give you a quick tutorial. You buy one of 15 participating Coca-Cola products. You open it and find the code inside. You enter the code online and you're done. The points add up automatically after you enter your codes. 

You can buy things for yourself with the codes, donate to charities, and now - donate to schools.

It's super easy! Give it a try and get your school to sign up!

We Finished the Warrior Dash - Next Stop Tough Mudder!

This is me at the Starting Line - I blurred out everyone else to protect their privacy.

This summer, my family and I ran the Warrior Dash - a 5K through mud, hell and fire. That's what they say anyway. Because the entire course is set on ski slopes, it's almost  ALL up or down hill  (black diamond hills!) and that makes it a little hellish. The rocks, steep drop-offs, and ruts are all a little ankle-wrangling.

Other than the hills, it was just plain fun. Running through tires, jumping over cars, scaling vertical walls, climbing ropes, jumping fire, crawling under barbed wire, jumping hurdles, balancing on multi-level teeter totters, sloshing through mud, getting blasted with fire hoses.....good times.

It was really pretty awesome!

Here's a look at the fire jumps.

It was really crazy to jump fire! I only wish my shoes would have stayed on (note to self: do not wear velcro strapping shoes through a muddy race - velcro + mud = no contact.)

I felt really good about this race, and it reminded me of why I like races. I like to conquer and do things people things people think I can't.

Like the vertical wall - I was over that in just a few seconds. My upper body strength rocks these days! The sand pits - ran right through 'em. I never quit or even felt like quitting. In fact, I could have ran even more. After we crossed the finish line, I felt like going back out and finding the rest of my family. That's not allowed, of course. But I had the energy to keep going and going...

Me crossing the finish line - I like your beard! And FYI  - my butt is not that huge - my shorts were  loaded with wet, droopy mud.

I realized that I'd ever want to do a "normal" race again. It would have to at least be a trail run. Or even better - the Tough Mudder. 12 miles of intense hell. Ski Slopes again (of course) and more barbed wire, cliff jumps (eek!), endless ropes, electric shock cords(!?!?!?), underground tunnels, fire,  and even more mud!

I already pre-registered for 2012. Yeah! Check out some of the awesome obstacles on this site or  in this video:



2012 - I'll see you there!

Fiber One 80 Calorie Cereal Giveaway

I never count calories (okay, I did once) but the fact that General Mills' new cereal Fiber One 80 calories is only 80 calories per serving caught my eye. And it didn't just catch my eye. Everyone that has been over to visit has pulled it out my cabinet, commented, and tasted it!

Eighty must be a magic number in the calorie world. I didn't even read the ingredients because, honestly, I didn't even want to know. I gave it a taste and thought it tasted pretty good - really sweet, maybe a little too soggy. But good for cereal.

I'm not a cereal fan, but my friends and family are. Everyone else thought it was great. 80 calories was just a bonus. Want to find out more? Check out the Fiber One Facebook Page.

Want to try the cereal for yourself? MyBlogSpark is offering one Suburban Jungle reader a Fiber One 80 calories cereal Prize Pack.

Prize Pack: 1 box of Fiber One 80 calorie cereal, iPod/smartphone holder with armband, and sensor pedometer with usb connector

How to Enter: Leave a comment telling me your thoughts on the new cereal.

Want Extra Entries: Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, and/or your blog. Leave an extra comment for each way you share.

*Disclosure: Fiber One 80 Calories cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. This contest will end on August 3, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. This contest is open to residents of all countries

Fall 2011 Tea Collection

I like shopping at Target or "mall stores" as much as the next girl, but there's something a little yuck about going out into the world and seeing someone wearing the exact same outfit. But that's the risk when you shop where everybody else does.

That's why I like to mix in a few unexpected items from boutiques or specialty stores. My children recently had the opportunity to preview the Fall line of Children's Clothing at the Tea Collection. The Fall collection is inspired by Modern Mexico - and it's really cute.

I urge you to look through the clothes at Tea Collection. There is a lot of great stuff - for boys and girls (even women and babies.) I had intended to take photos of my kids in some of their new outfits, but unfortunately my kids are going to need to grow into their new duds. Showcasing them on my little skeletons would not do the clothing justice.

They tried them all on and were excited about the colors and designs. I was excited by the uniqueness and quality. They should be able to wear them next year as they grow a little more. I have said it before and I'll say it again, it's not always easy to be "skinny." Just saying.

Keep that in mind when you are ordering though, and plan accordingly.

The thing I liked best about the boy's clothing was the ability to mix and match all of the items together. Boys are pretty easy - shirts and pants, right? The tees and tops are age and gender appropriate. The pants are classic.

The girl's clothing has something for just about every kind of girl (or every kind of girl's mood). There are sporty tops, dresses, leggings, tanks and tees, skirts, shorts.... You get the idea.

So consider Tea Collection when you're shopping for back to school. You can follow their new fashion trends and sales on Twitter as @teacollection and on Facebook.

This is a MamaBuzz Media review. The products were provided by Tea Collection for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Taking your Family Vacation - ON THE ROAD

Are you planning to hit the road with your family this summer? Because of the cost savings, road trips are becoming more and more popular. We even took a road trip! We recently took our family on a really long road trip to Rapid City, South Dakota. 

I know what you're thinking S-E-X-Y, but hey, we have two young kids that still need to see the world. We need to take trips across this country so they can see all that's out there. To learn about history and to gain an appreciation for all that we have. That's why we travel in the first place, right?

If you have young children, I'd definitely recommend taking a road trip with them this summer. But before you go, I have some advice.


#1 - Be prepared. Pack snacks, entertainment, something to wash your hands, and comfy clothes.


#2 - Make it an adventure. We took pictures of all the animals we saw, Wind turbines, and crazy landmarks. Anything to make it special and adventuresome.

Wind Farms in South Dakota - woo!

South Dakota Bears Love to take Photos....

#3 - Visit all of the places that make your destination special. Do everything you wanted to do so you don't feel like you missed anything.

Where else can you see Wholly Mammoths being excavated?

An "other-worldly" experience at the Cosmos

#4 - Make sure your care is in good repair. We had brake issues and that can be pretty scary in the mountains. In fact, you can even get help from the Allstate insurance Good Hands Roadside Assistance program.

It's a new service offering pay-as-you-go roadside assistance. You don't need to have Allstate insurance to use this service, there are no monthly fees (you only pay when you use it!) and it's easy to sign up. You can sign up for free below:

By pre-registering, you will receive a welcome kit in the mail containing a wallet card, key fob, and window cling with the phone number for roadside help. You'll have the help available in case anything comes up.

#5 - Use GPS or enable your iPad with an updated google map. Old maps are horrible for navigation.

#6 - Kick back and enjoy the ride - you're supposed to be on vacation, so enjoy it!

If you have any comments about traveling with kids or have any destinations to recommend, please leave me a comment. Or if you have questions on travelling to South Dakota or how we survived 12+ hours in the car, feel free to ask.

I am no vacation expert, but I have survived many trips with young kids.....

*This is a sponsored post

Blue Cash Dinner @ 6 - Recipe Contest & $600 American Express Giveaway Part 2

Your recipes are rolling in, and I am excited by what I see. Imagine the time and money saved when we use simpler recipes - and when we use cash back credit cards. 

In case you missed any of the previous recipes, head back to the Blue Cash Dinner @ 6 Recipe Contest - part 1 and check them out! 

You may enter the contest, sponsored by American Express Blue Cash® Cards on this page or on the previous post mentioned above. 

Just a reminder of what's going on: American Express has launched the new American Express Blue Cash Preferred and Everyday cards, and is giving one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to win a $600 American Express Gift Card. 

Here are a few highlights about the Blue Cash Cards (some of the highest paying cash back credit cards - especially in the supermarket category!):

o   For Blue Cash Preferred, it’s as simple as 6%-3%-1% (6% cash back at supermarkets, up to 3% at department stores and gas stations, and 1% on all other eligible purchases). At 6% cash back, Blue Cash Preferred offers consumers the most cash back at the supermarket available in the market today. (Blue Cash Preferred carries a $75 annual fee)

o   For Blue Cash Everyday, it’s a simple as 3%-2%-1% (3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at department stores and gas stations, and 1% on all other eligible purchases) with no annual fee.

To enter this contest, you will need to submit a Main Course Recipe using 6 ingredients or less. Click back here to see some of the recipes that have been submitted.

Here's my Second creation:

Chicken Sausage & Summer Vegetables

Chicken Sausage & Summer Veggies

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini (chopped any way you like)

2 Yellow Summer Squash

1/2 Yellow Onion (slice into strips)

2 Red Peppers (slice into strips)

2 Chicken sausages (slice into rings - I used the preservative-free, all natural spinach and mushroom sausages from Target)

a splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Saute the onions in a splash of olive oil. Then add the squashes and peppers. Saute until they just turning soft. Then add the sausages (already pre-cooked) and heat until the sausages warm up and get a little caramelization. 

Here's a close up of the goodies - yum

Don't worry about spices in this recipe, since the sausages are already seasoned. You could easily make this vegetarian and it is also a primal recipe. And of course - it is simple and quick to make. If you happen to have leftovers, mix it with your eggs the next morning.  


It sounds so simple - because it is, but it's simply good.

And once again, it's your turn. 

Here's how you Enter This Contest: 

Visit www.americanexpress.com/bluecashcards to learn more about the Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday cards. Come back to this post and leave a comment telling me something you liked about one of the Blue Cash cards then leave me your recipe for a MAIN DISH using 6 ingredients or less. You may include links to your recipe or photos of the dish. 

**The winner will be selected on July 30th, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST based on the ease and tastiness of their recipe. Once all submissions have been reviewed, I will make the winning recipe, try it out, and post a picture of it on this blog the week of August 1st, 2011. I will also notify the winner by email. You may enter up to 5 times with 5 different recipes.

Winners we be selected based on entries on this post and a previous article published on 7/18/2011.  You must be a US resident and 18 years of age or older to enter. American Express will ship the $600 gift card to the winner directly.

I received compensation for this post so that I could purchase grocery items to make the Dinner @ 6 winning recipe and the 6 ingredient creations I will create. All opinions expressed are my own. To find out more about any of the American Express Blue Cash Cards - click here. 

Phineas and Ferb - Upcoming movie!

Phineas and Ferb is TV's Number one animated series in Prime among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14. What do your kids think of the show? My kids think it's both interesting and entertaining. My son especially loves the "sci-fi" aspects of Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Plus they relate to two brothers seeking to conquer boredom. And like most cartoons they watch, there is a super smart pet that does more than just look cute.

If your kids like Phineas and Ferb, then get ready because Disney is launching the original movie "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension" on August 5th!  It will appear on August 5th at 8:00pm ET/PT on the Disney Channel and August 14th at 10:00am ET/PT on Disney XD.

But there's even more. This summer there will be a flurry of Phineas and Ferb activities all over the nation. The Perry the Platy-bus is going coast-to-coast (from New York City to San Diego's Comic-Con International July 21-24) and the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim from August 19-21.

During the "Perry the Playt-bus On Tour" event fans can marvel at nearly 4,000  pounds of Perry, come aboard, play the newest Phineas & Ferb games, and sing Perry-oke. And admission is free!

You'll also find new soundtracks, video games, novels, novelty books, action figures and magazines. Keep your eyes open this summer and you're bound to find some Phineas and Ferb action.

**The Disney Channel and Team Mom sent me a collection of Phineas and Ferb items to help promote the new movie release. I shared these items with my neighbors and friends.

Funky Monkey - Healthy Snacks Review

If you're like me, then you probably struggle with finding healthy, convenient snacks. Look no further! You have got to try Funky Monkey Snacks!

Haven't tried freeze-dried fruit? YOU ARE MISSING OUT!! Imagine all the flavor and nutrients of fruit, without the drippy wetness. They are so convenient. So quick, so easy, so yummy, so addictive.....

Funky Monkey graciously sent me these great flavors to review:

JiveaLime

Carnaval Mix

Bananamon

Purple Funk

Applemon

MangOJ

Pink Pineapple

What did I love about them?:

*They tasted amazing! Each combination was fantastic, but I really loved Pink Pineapple. Who doesn't love dried pineapple? Can you say, CANDY!

*Funky Monkey Snacks are certified organic!

*They contain fruit, and nothing but the fruit (and cinnamon for Bananamon)

*3 Servings of fruit in every ounce!

*Funky Monkey Snacks are super convenient. We brought ours to eat between swimming lessons. They were quick, easy, and tasty...with no clean up

*They are gluten-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free, with no added sugar, preservatives, colors, or flavors! A 100% shareable snack.

Where could there be some improvement?:

I'd love to see a strawberry variety. Or raspberry. I usually buy these on Amazon by the gallon (lol) and would much prefer an organic variety like Funky Monkey.

One quick warning: The purple funk is aptly named. It tasted amazing (banana and acai) but it looks a little scary. My son refused to eat them because they looked "burnt" to him, to which my daughter and I replied "your loss." So be forewarned that Purple Funk looks a little funky, but tastes fantastic!

Where can you snag some of these tasty & healthy snacks?

You can pick them up on Amazon. And I've seen them at Target, near the raisins.

*I received complimentary samples for review purposes. I have purchased these on my own in the past and legitimately love them.

2 Pairs of Shorts - 1 Summer

This spring, I eagerly rearranged my seasonal clothing and brought my summer duds into rotation. But as I took them out, I realized something. All of my summer clothes were huge!

I didn't have to try them on to know there was going to be a problem, but I did. Holy Guacamole!

I had only lost 3-4 pounds since last year, but I am now 3 or 4 sizes smaller. WTF? This is why scales are crap. I may have only lost 3 or 4 pounds of weight, but over the last year I have lost more than 15 lbs of fat. And gained some muscle - yeah!

But still....this leaves me with a dilemma. Nothing fits. And I mean nothing. I quickly made a pile of things I could alter and I went to town sewing down a bunch of my clothes. In all, I was able to salvage a few tops, 1 dress, 1 skirt, and 2 pairs of shorts. Just TWO! For the whole summer! That's a heavy rotation schedule.

And last week, I realized that these shorts were no longer fitting. Damn you muscular body! My old belts no longer have enough holes to make these shorts stay on and there's no more sewing to be done, so I'm just winging it. I am wearing shorts that barely stay up but for the grace of hip bones.

I don't even have to unbutton them to use the bathroom. Yes this is too much information. And it's completely sad.

But - there is a silver lining. My husband said I could buy new shorts. Actually, he said "eat more crap and gain some weight or go and buy new shorts. What's the problem?"

If you know me, then you know the problem. Shorts aren't on clearance yet. But it's an even bigger problem than that. I have to hope that size 1 is magically on clearance or I have to shop in the kid's department. Unbelievable!

Save Money on your Cell Phone

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You wouldn't believe how much some people pay for their cell phones. Or maybe you would because you are one of those people. 

The truth is, you don't have to spend a lot to have a reliable cell phone. I have used a pay-as-you-go phone for years and it's worked out great. 

One of the providers of inexpensive phone service is TracFone. You can even find videos from real TracFone customers on Youtube. 

TracFone is an easy solution to keeping track of your kids during the summer. What if you could easily get them a low cost phone so they could check in with you when you need them? TracFone has no contracts, no credit checks, no activation charges, and no cancellation fees.

You get great nationwide service at a low cost. You don't even have to have a granny phone like I have. You can get a brand name phone like Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia and Samsung.

You can choose simple phones (and simple service - with calling and texting capabilities for under $10.00) or even get blue tooth enabled smart phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 players, and full QWERTY keyboards  (some as low as $29.99!)

It's easy to get started. You can either go online or buy cards at thousands of retails tores across the country.  You can buy monthly minutes with 200 minutes for under $30.00 and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. Or get a 1 year service card for your TracFone, get double minutes for the life of your TracFone and 800 minutes for only $119.00.

"Double minutes for the life of your phone" can be purchased separately for only $19.99, but some phones include it!

 

You can even call over 60 international destinations for the same price as any other call. I don't know of any other wireless service that allows that! There's even an International Neighbors program that allows you to provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number (local in those countries_ to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S.

Want to learn more about your phone service needs, see how real TracFone customers are using their TracFones.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/27yaTS82ZtY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>• 

Why do you garden?

This spring, while we were building our new raised garden bed, a neighbor stopped by and had an annoying conversation with me. "So that's what you're building. I get it now. Well, I guess some people do have to grow their own food to save money."

That was the gist of the conversation. I didn't say much. I was covered from head-to-toe in mud, sweat and tears. I had no time to hold a conversation and after his elitist comment, I had no interest in ever speaking to him again.

The truth is, I don't garden to save money. In fact, I probably don't even save very much money gardening. I garden because I like it and I grow all of the foods I like to eat in excess.

It's a fun, sometimes stressful, always changing hobby. It keeps me active and outside. And there was that part of about eating in excess.....

There are a few foods that I would buy and eat every day. Every day. They are as follows: Berries, Tomatoes, Berries, Swiss Chard, Spinach, and Berries! And if you look at my garden posts, you will see that most of what I grow is berries, tomatoes, and greens (like swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, basil, etc.)

During the summer months, I pick and eat them every single day. Check out the black raspberries we picked today. The blueberries never make it into the house....

I also grow my "second" fave foods like cucumbers, asparagus, zucchini. If global warming makes its way up here, I'll be growing peaches and cherries too! That's a little growing zone/environmental doom humor for you.

Look at this yummy Bruschetta I made with fresh Basil from our garden....

Don't even get me started on pesto....

All of the seeds, dirt, compost, fertilizer, fences, stakes, nets, pruners, seedlings, etc cost money. Sometimes, a lot of money. But I am here to tell you that if you have ever picked fresh basil right from your garden, sent your kids out to eat berries from their own bushes, or bit into a real vine ripened tomato...you'd become a gardener too.

So I want to set the record straight - I do NOT garden to save money. If I really wanted to, I could shop at Whole Foods for all of my groceries. Or I could join an all inclusive CSA. Or I could eat out at gourmet restaurants for all my meals.

Quality whole food is excessively important to me - it just so happens that I like growing it myself. Knowing what went into each plant, picking it at peak ripeness, enjoying time outside, eating food as fresh and alive as possible. That's what it's all about.

With that,I leave you with my newest garden adventure: Getting my cultivated grapes to be as successful as the wild grapes. So far, this has been quite the exercise in patience.

3 years and no grapes from this bubby - But she is sporting a  new $30 trellis and newly weeded growing space. 4th year's the charm?

This grape vine is on it's second year and has grown better than the other. Last year it had a few grapes that were quickly swooped up by birds. This year was a goose egg. This vine is also sporting a new $30 trellis. I had dreams that they would climb the trees like the wild grapes do, but they refused.

Surviving Back to School

It's almost that time...back-to-school time! Seriously, how does summer go by so fast? Maybe it's all the time outside, at neighborhood parties, play dates, phew!

But how do you make going back to school easier. My best advice is to stay on top of all the paperwork that comes home. When your child brings home papers from the school - HANDLE THEM ONCE!

Read it, write it down in your calendar that minute, then recycle it. You will never miss a bake sale, or field trip, or end up with a huge pile of papers and not know what is going on.

Your life will be much simpler if you can manage all the paperwork this way (that goes for homework too.)


If you'd like to be part of a daily  back-to-school sweepstakes with Master Lock - head to their facebook page here: www.facebook.com/masterlock. 


 I wrote this post as an entry in a contest for a Master Lock back-to-school prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

Blue Cash Dinner @ 6 - Recipe Contest and $600 American Express Giveaway

If you were to peek at my credit card statement, you'd see that most of my money gets spent at supermarkets. I'm guessing it's the same for most moms. There's no way around it, we need groceries. And as prices keep going up, it makes sense to try to save money wherever we can.


The easiest way to save is to use a credit card that gives you money back on the places you shop the most. The American Express Blue Cash® Cards offer up to a whopping 6% cash back on supermarket purchases.  

o   For Blue Cash Preferred, it’s as simple as 6%-3%-1% (6% cash back at supermarkets, up to 3% at department stores and gas stations, and 1% on all other eligible purchases). At 6% cash back, Blue Cash Preferred offers consumers the most cash back at the supermarket available in the market today. (Blue Cash Preferred carries a $75 annual fee)

o   For Blue Cash Everyday, it’s a simple as 3%-2%-1% (3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at department stores and gas stations, and 1% on all other eligible purchases) with no annual fee.

To celebrate the launch of the new American Express Blue Cash Preferred and Everyday cards, The Suburban Jungle is teaming up with American Express to help simplify your life (while helping you save money.)

American Express is going to give one Suburban Jungle reader a $600 American Express Gift Card!!

The goal is to simplify your life. You can save money on your purchases by using a Blue Cash card, and you can simplify your menus by using fewer ingredients. 

Some of the best recipes (and best solutions) are the simple ones; so to enter this contest, you will need to submit a Main Course Recipe using 6 ingredients or less. 

Here's my first creation:

Chicken & Zucchini Pesto Toss

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini (julienne or slice finely with a vegetable
peeler)
2 Chicken Breasts (cut into strips)
1 Jar of Basil Pesto
3 Carrots (julienne or slice finely with vegetable peeler)
1 Chopped Tomato
2 Cups Fresh Spinach (or 1 cup frozen spinach -thawed and drained)


Directions:
Saute or grill the carrots and zucchini until soft. Remove veggies from pan and saute or grill the chicken. Add the veggies and spinach. Put the lid on the pan to wilt the spinach. The mix in the pesto and raw chopped tomatoes. 

I know this looks really green, but it tastes amazing. Fresh Veggies can't be beat and there is no substitute for the yum of pesto. This recipe is primal and can easily be made vegan or low-carb - and with only 6 ingredients, the prep time is quick! 

But what recipes do you have up your sleeve? 

Here's how you Enter This Contest: 

Visit www.americanexpress.com/bluecashcards to learn more about the Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday cards. Come back to this post and leave a comment telling me something you liked about one of the Blue Cash cards then leave me your recipe for a MAIN DISH using 6 ingredients or less. You may include links to your recipe or photos of the dish. 

**The winner will be selected on July 30th, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST based on the ease and tastiness of their recipe. Once all submissions have been reviewed, I will make the winning recipe, try it out, and post a picture of it on this blog the week of August 1st, 2011.. I will also notify the winner by email. You may enter up to 5 times with 5 different recipes.

Winners we be selected based on entries on this post and an upcoming article that will be live on 7/25/2011.  You must be a US resident and 18 years of age or older to enter. American Express will ship the $600 gift card to the winner directly.

I received compensation for this post so that I could purchase grocery items to make the Dinner @ 6 winning recipe and the 6 ingredient creations I will create. All opinions expressed are my own. To find out more about any of the American Express Blue Cash Cards - click here.