Saturday, February 16, 2013

I, Win

Introducing Win Kelly Charles and her World

I, Win: Hope and Life: my journey as a woman with cerebral palsy living in a non-disabled world, by Win Kelly Charles, kindle edition on Amazon; and paperback.

This short book of fewer than 100 pages offers a winsome overview of Win Kelly Charles' life and aspirations—so far. Because she was born prematurely at very low birth rate and as a result of other factors, Win has been living, struggling, and thriving with cerebral palsy all her life. Her parents' devotion, imagination and care of her from the beginning gave her the support she needed to begin and continue overcoming (conservatively) tremendous odds, and grow into a creative, productive adult artist, teacher, and entrepreneur. Being an Aspen, Colorado, native helped a lot, too!

I, Win coverEach chapter moves quickly through details of an aspect of Win's life, including explanations of ways she adapts in order to accomplish different tasks. I was surprised at how involved she has been in sports like skiing and mountain climbing, but as she pointed out, everyone has challenges, gifts, limitations, and assets. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment of Win's life journey! A "thank you" to the author for offering the free Kindle edition.

You can find Win Charles on Facebook.

my amazon review: Introducing Win and her World

Sunday, February 10, 2013

good earth herb crusted chicken

good earth Restaurant Favorites, Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto on amazon and possibly at a store near to you, too.

good earth risottoThe ingredients panel on good earth Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto identified only the herb parsley, but I'd guess maybe thyme, basil, bay, and/or oregano; 100% whole grain brown rice, white wine sauce, seasoned panko crumbs, and mushroom risotto seasoning came packed inside the box. I had to look up "panko," and discovered it's Japanese-style bread crumbs—made from bread without crusts. The recipe came together easily from the clear directions, and it looked exactly like the picture on the package! I needed to add only oil for sautéing, chicken parts, and milk; as usual, my milk was sour cream. Results yield very generous portions for serving 2, plenty for 4.

This tasty dish is from the same General Mills Restaurant Favorites division as the Mediterranean Chicken I enjoyed so much, but it's far closer to comfort food than to gourmet. However, it's definitely worth stocking up on a few packages when you find it on sale.

my amazon review: closer to comfort than gourmet