Deal Alert: Anniversary Sale is here!

The Nordstrom Anniversary sale starts TODAY!! It's the perfect time to get your back-to-school shopping done.

Next season's newest styles are marked down for a limited time. Shop early for the best selection. Prices go up August 6.

From July 20-22, Fashion Rewards members EARN DOUBLE POINTS. See details.

SHOP ANNIVERSARY SALE: WOMEN'S APPAREL | WOMEN'S SHOES | HANDBAGS & ACCESSORIES | DESIGNER COLLECTIONS | BEAUTY EXCLUSIVES | MEN'S | JUNIORS' | KIDS' | HOME & GIFTS

Meal in minutes: Crispy Balsamic Chicken

Don't let "crispy" scare you off. This meal from Good Housekeeping magazine is the epitome of healthy in a hurry. Coating cutlets with mustard and crumbs ensures a satisfying crunch for oven-baked breasts and keeps it low fat. Top with arugula and you get bold flavor plus heart healthy antioxidants.

~Crispy Balsamic Chicken~
Total time: 30 min
Yields: 4 main dish servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 1/4 lbs skinless, boneless thin sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
5 oz. baby arugula
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, torn
salt & pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) On jelly roll pan, toss carrots with oil and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Roast 8-10 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer carrots to large bowl to cool.
3) While carrots cook, place panko on large plate. In medium bowl, toss chicken with mustard and 1/4 tsp pepper until well coated. Coat chicken with panko pressing to adhere. Arrange chicken on rack fitted into same jelly roll pan.
4) Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until juices run clean when pierced with tip of knife (165 degrees).
5) Meanwhile, in 1 quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper to boiling on high; reduce heat to simmer 8-12 minutes, or until syrupy.
6) To same bowl as carrots, add arugula, basil and remaining Tbsp balsamic vinegar, tossing to mix.
7) Serve salad with chicken and balsamic glaze.

Tips:
- Use prewashed arugula for superfast prep.
- For even crispier chicken, run under the broiler after baking.

Deal Alert: FREE Starbucks

What: Free tall (12 oz) Starbucks Refreshers
When: Today, Friday 7/13 from NOON - 3 PM
Where: Participating Starbucks stores
Details: No purchase necessary, limit one per person

The energy drink craze is making its way to Starbucks. Made from unroasted coffee bean extract and real fruit juice, Starbucks new Refreshers are thirst-quenching pick-me-ups when you want a boost, not a buzz. The drinks deliver about 50 mg of caffeine for a grande (about what you get in a cup of tea).

Available in either Cool Lime (50 calories per grande) or Very Berry Hibiscus flavors (70 calories per grande). A great low-cal option on a hot summer day! Enjoy yours FREE TODAY!!

Food tip: What to keep out of your refrigerator

Summer is prime time for produce and while you may know how to eat and cook all this seasonal deliciousness, do you really know how to store them? Thanks to the Food Network, here are 8 fresh finds that you should never refrigerate.

Tomatoes
The chill of the icebox makes tomatoes dull and mealy. Store on the counter (under-ripe ones can go on the windowsill). If they begin to get too ripe, it’s time to make tomato jam or roasted tomato sauce.

Melon

Keep whole melons like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew on the counter for best flavor. USDA research found that storage at room temp may even help keep the antioxidants better intact. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Potatoes
Cold temps will break down the starches in potatoes, making them unpleasantly sweet and gritty. Cool and dry darkness is a spud’s best bud.

Onions

Uncut onions are happy out of the cold. The humidity of the refrigerator makes them moldy and mushy. Avoid direct sunlight and once cut open, place in a resealable bag in the vegetable drawer.

Garlic

Preserve the powerful flavor of garlic by storing in a cool, dry and ventilated container. Once the head has been broken open, use the cloves within 10 days.

Apples

Freshly picked apples will do well (and look pretty) on your counter. If they aren’t eaten after a week or two, make them last a little bit longer by then chilling them in the fridge.

Berries

Fresh berries from your local farm taste amazing at room temperature so it’s the sooner the better for munching. For long-term storage keep them in the fridge. To avoid soggy or moldy berries, rinse just before eating.

Stone Fruit

Allow peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums to ripen at room temperature. If you can’t gobble ‘em up right away, place in the fruit bin of the refrigerator for a few extra days.

How bad is it...

...to reuse a plastic food baggie?

A: Really bad.

Grandma may have done it, but that doesn't make it ok. Even if you rinse it out before reusing it, the bag can still contain bacteria from food and your hands.

"Everytime you reach in, you leave behind germs," says Joan Saige Blake, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "And once inside the bag, those germs can multiply to levels that could make you sick."

Putting baggies in the dishwasher won't cut it either, since this kind of plastic isn't made to withstand high heat.

Summer Sipping: Drinks that won't kill your waistline

With summer officially underway, there are many more opportunities - lounging poolside, backyard bbq's, beach vacays - that can sobotage your diet. If you've been reading this blog long enough, you should all know by now that I'm a huge advocate for not drinking your calories. But - and a heavy but - I am all about enjoying a few cocktails.

While I'm not a big beer drinker as I don't like the stomach bloat that comes after and red wine on a hot day does not sound appealing, I stick to a "skinny" cocktail. Knowing that traditional umbrella drinks can contain 400-1,000 calories per drink, I've found other ready to pour, yummy, summery picks besides the boring 'ol vodka soda that will get your swigging alittle smarter on a hot day:

Skinnygirl - Pina Colada ($15)
Coconut cream usually takes this rum treat into waist-widening territory. But testers of this coconut and pineapple juice concotion didn't seem to miss it. So put on grass skirt and shake the night away as you sip this low cal alternative. 89 calories for 4 oz.

Jose Cuervo - Authenic Wild Berry Light Margarita ($15)
No salt rim required for this fruity with a kick margi. Each serving combines a shot of tequila with the flavors of strawberries, blackberries, and with the tartness of lime. Yum! 95 calories for 4 oz.

VNC Cocktails - Vodka Mojito ($12)
Put down your muddler! Traditionally made with rum, this mojito mix is a concotion of vodka, real lime juice, and fresh mint. This preservative-free libation is a "ringer for the real thing," according to a satisfied tester - with none of the usual taxing handiwork. Hallelujah!! 111 calories for 3.4 oz.

Eppa - SupraFruta Red Sangria ($12)
If you can't give up your red wine, this is a refreshing life from a melange of organic pomegranate, blueberry, blood orange, and acai juices. Just chill and serve. 120 calories for 5 oz.

Enjoy and sip smart and safe!!

Looking for a new book? Summer's best reads

Bury your feed in the sand and your head in a book as you kick back and relax this 4th of July weekend. If you've already made your way through Fifty Shades of Grey or found that it's not your thing, here are a few others that will grab your attention and keep you reading all summer long:

 Need comic relief? Girl Walks Into a Bar.

The debut book from the former Saturday Night Live cast member Rachel Dratch, is a hilarious midlife memoir about laugh out loud adventures, the unexpected joys of dating and becoming a mother when she least expected it at age 44. A look into how unpredictable and beautiful life can be.

Amazon reviews: 4.5/5 stars. 44 reviews.

Love compelling characters? The Chaperone.

In Laura Moriarty's historically based novel, you'll meet the irreverent Louise Brooks, who at age 15 - a few years before achieving fame as an actress - teaches her caregiver, Cora Carlisle, to live life to the fullest. The Chaperone is the enthralling story of two women  and how their unlikely relationship changed their lives. In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will - or a sturdy combination of the two - that makes for a wonderful life.

Amazon reviews: 4.5/5 stars. 36 reviews.

Got a flair for the dramatic? Gone.

Lose yourself in Cathi Hanauer's tension filled tale of a woman who becomes a single mother when her husband vanishes after driving the babysitter home. Gone is an outstanding novel about change and about redefining, in middle age, everything from one’s marriage to one’s career to one’s role as a best friend, parent, and spouse. It is a novel about passion and forgiveness and knowing when to let something go and when to fight to hold on to it, about learning to say goodbye - but, if you’re lucky, not forever.

Amazon reviews: 3/5 stars. 10 reviews.

Want some perspective? Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.

Anna Quindlen, in her witty and irresistible memoir, looks back at - and celebrates - every stage of womanhood. From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

Amazon reviews: 4/5 stars. 110 reviews.

None of these doing it for you? Check out Oprah's 2012 summer must read's HERE. There's a book to suit every mood.

Sweet Sunday

Citrus meets creamy sweetness in this refreshing dessert. A low fat summer hit around my house courtesy of Shape.com.

~Lemonade Mousse~
Serves: 12
Prep time: 10 min

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp light butter, melted
1 14-ounce can fat-free sweetened, condensed milk
3/4 cup (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
1) Using a fork, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter.
2) Lightly press 3/4 of the graham-cracker mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan (or single serving cups).
3) In a large bowl, mix together condensed milk and lemonade.
4) Fold in the whipped topping.
5) Pour over the graham cracker crust.
6) Sprinkle remaining graham crumbs over the lemonade mixture.
7) Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Nutrition Score per serving: (1/2 cup) 183 calories, 73 g carbs(2.9%), 4.16 g fat(20%), 0.3 g fiber, 7 g protein(35.5%)

I hope this ends your weekend on a sweet note! And happiest of days to all the father's out there!

Fancy Friday: Sweet Pea Apple Wine

It never fails that if I stand long enough in line, I will be suckered into buying something within reach. This week: Sweet Pea Apple Wine from Cost Plus World Market.

Initially drawn to the adorable packaging (I mean c'mon, LOOK at it) and the name, it didn't help that it was on sale for $5.99. Intrigued by the whole "apple wine" novelty factor, into the cart it went.

As I got to the front of the line, the cashier acknowledges that wine and says, "Oh this is sooo good. Not too sweet. Such a nice summer wine. It's been flying off the shelf."

Well if that's the case - I grabbed the remaining five off the display. Nothing worse than wanting something you can't have, right?

That night I took one bottle to a girl's gathering. Literally gone in four minutes.

Hence why this made the Fancy Friday list. If you're looking for a new summer drink, give this a try. Even if you're a traditionalist who likes bold red wine, you might like this refreshing change up on a warm summer night.

Pleasing as peach cobbler and refreshing as a cool glass of cider, Sweet Pea is ripe with 100% real Washington (shout-out to my home state!) grown golden delicious apple flavors, hints of peachy sweetness and a crisp, clean finish. An excellent and affordable substitute to high caloric fruity cocktails.

Who says housewives have to be desperate?

Available at Cost Plus World Market & Total Wine.

My latest obsession: GoRecess.com

Talk.About.Brilliant. I'm obsessed. Gorecess.com makes finding a fitness class and scheduling a time to exercise so much easier. Tired of your workout routine? Interested in taking a class such as Barre or Mat Pilates but your gym doesn't offer it? Moved to a new city and are unsure of where to workout?

GoRecess helps you find the best class of the day, where you want, when you want, so you can be your best every day. Maybe you're in the mood for a certain type of workout. Maybe you want convenience and something that fits your hectic schedule. Maybe you want variety and the flexibility to try new places. Or maybe you just need the motivation of a good instructor and others around you to inspire you to push yourself.

From spinning and yoga to pilates and boxing and more, GoRecess will help you find exactly what you're seeking. Say goodbye to boring runs on the treadmill, mindless strides on the elliptical and excuses to skip a workout. Now get off your couch or away from your desk and choose your "recess."

What I love about GoRecess is that it finds all the group classes in my area with just one click. It doesn't get any easier than that. Group classes, if you can get past the intimidating factor (and yes there is always someone worse than you in the class), are an amazing calorie blasting workout. It's an hour of intense working out as opposed to wandering the gym trying to muster up motivation. I love the concept of GoRecess because it allows me to change up my workout so I never get bored.

All you have to do is visit gorecess.com, plug in your address or zip, time of day you’re looking to break a sweat, and the desired activity (Pilates? yoga? strength training?) you’re up for and the radius you are willing to drive (or even better bike or jog!), and the site will give you a detailed list of all the fitness options in your area like you see above. 

Also, most studios will offer their first class for free, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can jump around for a while while you save up some cash and settle on your favorite.

I encourage all of you to take a second and check out GoRecess, it may inspire you to try something you have never done before OR find something you didn't know existed!