Spinning Meals, Thanks
Leave a comment

Giving It Away: Man-Cave Filler and the Free Weekend

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Ryan

Last weekend in honor of Mother’s Day we gave away the Spinning Meals app for free, and saw almost 10,000 downloads, most of that on Mother’s Day itself. Thank you all for spreading the news, it was fun to watch the traffic spike, and hear from people discovering the app for the first time.

If you like free, I have another deal. I wrote in April about how I’d prefer to spend my small marketing budget on things like gift cards and joint giveaways, more than paid ads from big corporate sites. The folks at voiceBoks, Good Steward Savers, Terri’s Little Haven, Cute-Ecakes, Giveaway Promote, and Linkie’s Contest Linkies have thrown together a new Father’s Day “Man-Cave Filler” giveaway. First, let’s state the obvious: This giveaway has a logo that looks like it could have been designed to go with my site and app (it wasn’t). Brown is the new black. Second, I love the theme, and the main prize is HUGE, $600 to spend on one. Happy. Dude. Dads need appreciation just like moms do. So scroll down to see all the ways you can enter to win, open now through June 8. Click here for more info on voiceBoks.com.

Brought to you by the following sponsors, some of whom have really cool names. Anybody have a favorite here? Good luck to all!

The Stiletto Files | Racing and Saving Mama | freebie spot | RuralMom.com | Not Your Ordinary Recipes | Military Wives Saving | Insights by April | Mark Your Savings | Great Beauty Buys | November Sunflower | Club-Content | Christian SuperMom | Peanut Butter and Whine | Mommy Bunch | Kids Fun Reviewed | Mama Does It All | The Crazy Nuts Mom | Coupon Anna | A Maui Mompreneur | Like a Bump On a Blog | Because I’m the Mommy | Ann Again… and again Reviews | Roscoe Ramblings | Mom to Bed by 8 | JadeLouise Designs | Mommy Who Loves Giveaways | Pardon My Poppet | The Daily Fashion and Beauty News | The Flower Hazard | Grandma Bonnie’s Closet | Mommy’s Memorandum | Whole Lotta Mama!| First Comes Baby| insignificant at best | A Mom Having Fun | Finger Click Saver | Rants and Raves of a Crazed Mom | One And One Equals Twin Fun | Mommy Writes/Booksbythomasina | GiaVannes Gems | Be Prepared Period | I’m A Silly Mami | Mommy’s Coupon Train | Five Little Chefs – Cooking with Kids | Silly Creatures | Colleen’s Book Nook | Why We Love Green | Angie’s Wraps | Not Your Average Mother | Chic and Sassy Homemaker | Bella Savvy | Dawns Delights Art | A Day in Doha | Living Life Smarter | Frugal Friends Network | Plum Crazy About Coupons | inRandom | Nickels-n-Dimes | Simplified Saving | Far From Camelot | The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife | Giveaway Bandit | Forever A Teen Fashion Finds | The Frugal Free Loader | MomMomOnTheGo | Tatum’s Family Reviews | AskDoctorG | Susie Qpons | Spinning Cook | Kindness in Giving Creates Love | Cheapskate Cafe | Disney Contests & Sweepstakes | Saving Cent by Cent | Wrinkled Mommy | Work, Interrupted | Bea’s Gift Baskets & Gift Blogspot | The Frugal Free Gal | Utah Sweet Savings | Eclectic Willow | Mondays with Mac | Have Kids Will Coupon | Smile A Day Giveaways | Clair’s Freebies | Jesus & My Orange Juice | Super Blake Books | Red Tag Mama | Building Carpenters | My Baby Sleep Guide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share
Spinning Meals, Thanks
6 Comments

Spinning Meals Free For Mother’s Day Weekend

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Ryan
Mothers Day Free Weekend

This word cloud is built from the titles of all the App Store reviews to date.

The Spinning Meals meal planning and shopping list app has been live for nearly two months now, and it’s been extremely gratifying to hear from the many people who love the app. Our mention in the New York Times was nice, and being on eHow’s 12 Great Apps for Moms list was a great honor. But the best part has been the user emails, tweets, and reviews saying things like, this app…

  • saved my marriage (seriously – read it on the App Store)
  • does exactly what it promises to do
  • is a genuinely clever idea and nicely executed
  • anticipated things I hadn’t dreamed I needed, but love
  • makes meal planning fun

…and so on. So to give back, generate some buzz, and show moms and families everywhere that we appreciate all that they do, we’ve decided to make Spinning Meals free for two days only, Saturday and Sunday May 12-13.

So please spread the word, give it a spin, and send us your own impressions. And please make sure you’ve read my short post on why moms and their “invisible,” sometimes painfully repetitive daily labors create exactly what our kids need to thrive:

As The World Turns So Do Mothers Everywhere

Happy Spinning, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Ryan

Learn more about Spinning Meals

Share
Philosophies, Thanks
9 Comments

As The World Turns, So Do Mothers Everywhere

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Ryan

A Mother’s Day Thank You

The forecast for the day is partly laundry, with showers of requests and a chance of thanks. Not all parental repetition is exactly predictable, there’s a little variety to mix things up, like: Is it one dishwasher load or two today?

Let’s be honest, it can be excruciating. Every day seems like Groundhog Day, right? Every day seems like Groundhog Day, right? Every…oh, stop it.

I named my blog “Spinning Cook” because I wanted a tribute in a way to all of us who maintain this daily grind. We spin through another day, spreading another peanut butter sandwich, dressing another toddler, cleaning another load (dishes, laundry, diaper…).

But here’s the perspective I want to offer: In this spinning process, a beautiful thing is happening. Those little people whose lives we protect don’t usually feel that burden of repetition. Strange, right? What they experience, if we care for them properly, is constancy. See, the earth is spinning, but we wouldn’t know it. We’ll only really notice that fact if the spin slows or turns to a wobble.

Mom and daughter sleeping

Occasionally the spinning comes to a brief rest. Savor these moments.

This is the challenge of daily maintenance. If the laundry gets done everything stays “normal,” but if it stops one day a noticeable problem piles up. Wondering why you don’t get a lot of credit for that hard work? Because it’s invisible!

So to moms and grandmoms on this Mother’s Day, and to all who care for young ones, thank you. Thanks for being the ground they can count on, ever-working but rarely-noticed. Please take a break for a day. If you want to make a point, take a break for a week. Most importantly, we all need to notice the invisible daily labors and say thanks all around. Not just once a year – our thanks should spin around faster than that.

Whom do you admire for keeping things running? And what thanks have you received that really meant something to you? Please tell me below.

Share
Dinner, Fast, Kid Friendly, Philosophies
6 Comments

Kids’ Choice: The Importance of Burrito Night

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Ryan
Kids choosing burrito fillings

If they don't like what they're having, they have no one to blame but the "chef."

I’m no Rick Bayless. And while I occasionally make the effort to cook authentic Mexican, our typical Mexican night is all about the kids (isn’t everything?). That is, it’s about letting them choose what goes into their “roll-up.”

There are some great parenting systems built around the importance of choice, including Love and Logic which we’ve used. Giving kids some power can have an amazing effect on their behavior. Who wouldn’t want to eat a burrito they made themselves? And if you don’t like it, it’s nobody’s fault but your own, right?

There are boundaries of course, to prevent my Dairydactyls from rolling up only cheese with sour cream. Love and Logic says that the parents define the choices, all of which must be acceptable to them. While it doesn’t always work like magic, it can sometimes melt a stalemate and make both sides feel respected, as everyone comes away with at least a partial win.

What’s your favorite way to use choice at the dinner table? I’d love to hear from you, but no pressure, it’s your choice! I do hope you’ll enjoy our Basic Chicken Burritos recipe here, as some of you may have already seen in the Spinning Meals app.

To your health,

Ryan

Share
Dinner, Fast, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipes
1 Comment

Basic Chicken Burritos

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Ryan

Recipe: Basic Chicken Burritos

Summary: When each family member puts together their own dinner, there’s (almost) no complaining. We fill our table with options and let everyone go to town. Cutting (or pounding) the chicken breasts to a reduced thickness results in fast even cooking and juicy chicken.

Kids choosing burrito fillingsIngredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 12 ounce can refried beans
  • 10 whole wheat tortillas
  • 4 ounce can, sliced black olives
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, sliced thin
  • 4 ounces sour cream
  • 4 ounces salsa
  • 4 ounces grated Cheddar or crumbled Cotija cheese

Instructions

  1. Lay each chicken breast on the cutting board and cut it parallel with the cutting board to make two layers (butterflied). Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast pieces with onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt.
  2. Cook the onion and bell pepper in 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide heavy-bottomed skillet over moderately high heat until it just begins to smoke. Reduce heat to medium, add the chicken in a single layer (you will probably need to do two batches), and cover with a splash guard or lid.
  4. Cook for exactly two minutes. Turn over the chicken pieces, and continue to cook until the chicken is well-browned and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the heat, and repeat steps 3 and 4 if necessary for a second batch of chicken.
  5. Chop the cooked chicken on a clean cutting board and place in a serving bowl. Cover to keep warm.
  6. Empty the refried beans into a pot and heat on the stovetop until warm, stirring occasionally.
  7. Warm the tortillas in the microwave or in a warm skillet.
  8. Serve with all the ingredients for your family to assemble.

Preparation time: 25 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4-6

Culinary tradition: Mexican

Share