At Home with my Monkeys

Guilty

2011-03-15T16:38:00.002-05:00

I have been found guilty of completely neglecting this poor little blog. I haven't posted much lately, even though a million things have been going through my head as potential blog fodder. I just haven't set aside the time to put up a proper post, and I feel terrible about that.

So what's been going on lately? Lots, really! I've traveled the past few weeks, which has been absolutely wonderful! At the end of February, I flew to Denver, CO, to spend the weekend with a dear friend. We had a fabulous time, and the time went so fast! I rode my first light rail, learned how to properly play darts, tried Blue Moon beer (and actually liked it!), gazed longingly at the unbelievable beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and even saw a Linkin Park concert. Anyone who knows me has raised eyebrows right now, as that is just NOT the kind of music I tend to like. But I did!!! I LOVED Linkin Park, and have bought three of their cd's since I returned!

While Colorado was definitely the highlight of my life to date, last weekend I drove with a friend to a wedding in Hutchinson, KS. While that might not seem like a very thrilling drive, it ended up being very nice. We did not take the interstate coming back to KC, but instead had to take a route that included Clay Center, KS. My friend had to view a site for a work project, so we took the scenic route back. And it was beautiful!!! The wheat fields were the most gorgeous golden amber color and we drove through some very nice terrain on back highways, including a little bit of gravel. We even drove along the ORIGINAL US-81, which still isn't paved! We stopped to view the plaque stating that the highway was the original, so I know it was the real deal.

The weather is finally starting to show hints of the return of spring, which is very pleasant. Thoughts are turning to gardening and taking bike rides around the neighborhood. The girls are finally learning to ride, so I look forward to taking rides with them starting this spring. They are pretty excited about it, too!

We are also planning on another house concert next month. We had one last year, and I'm sure I mentioned it on the blog if you've been with me awhile. It's a lot of fun...we clear out everything to set up seating and have live music right there in the living room. It's a wonderful time with friends and live music. Hopefully this year will go as well as last year's performance did. I'd love to have even more people this year, and finally an event set up on Facebook today. At least I didn't wait until the last minute!! :)

I have a new cell phone addiction, as if texting wasn't enough! My friend Sam got me hooked on a game called Words with Friends. It's a lot like Scrabble, and you play on the phone with either friends or random opponents. I LOVE it!!! Nobody around here will play me in Scrabble, but I've found some very tough players on this game and am having a ball - it's a great challenge! If you play Words with Friends, look me up and start a game. My username is JanelleKC.

I guess that's about all I have to report for today. I'm hoping to get back to blogging, but I'm not making any promises. I can't risk taking a chance on disappointing the few people who are still reading this blog. I will definitely try, though!!! Enjoy the weather this week!!!!

CSN Winner - Better Late than Never....

2011-02-11T19:09:00.008-06:00

Okay, apparently I hit "Save" instead of "Publish." Yeah, it's been one of those weeks! :-) Sorry for the delay!!

We have a winner! I used Random.org to choose the winner of the CSN Stores gift certificate, and here is what I got:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:33Powered by RANDOM.ORG

**Note - I don't know why it pasted as 1-100 - I entered 1 to 37 and that's what I tried to cut and paste. I STILL get confused trying to screen-shot a Random.org generator.

Comment #33 was posted by Jo! Jo, I've sent you an email with the information on how to redeem your certificate. Thanks so much for entering, everyone!

Think Summer - and Think Giveaway with CSN Stores!

2011-01-30T12:54:00.005-06:00

The current weather forecast is for ice tomorrow and then somewhere around a foot of snow on Tuesday. I wish I was kidding!!! I can't do much about the weather, but I can daydream of Spring and Summer, as they will arrive at some point in time! :-) And in picturing that lovely weather, I envision children playing on swingsets and soaking up the sun while having a great time!

CSN Stores is currently offering Free Shipping and up to 70% off swingsets from Flexible Flyer! Ordering now would give you plenty of time to assemble it! Here is a great option at a VERY reasonable price:

They also have a wide assortment of other great outdoor equipment for the kids to enjoy. How about a trampoline or a super-cool sandbox??

I'm excited to let you know that CSN Stores is offering one of my readers a $35 gift certificate to buy anything you would like from their website!! You could put it toward one of these wonderful outdoor swingsets or anything from their many, many websites. You could spend hours looking for the perfect item - and have $35 of free fun!! This giveaway is open to readers in the US AND Canada!

Here's how to enter:

1) For your first, and mandatory entry, visit the link above and pick out what outdoor play equipment you think would provide the most enjoyment for the kids in your family! Let me know in a comment.

2) For a second entry, follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, using the link over on the right. Post a SECOND comment saying that you follow. It also counts if you're already a follower!

3) For a third entry, tell others about the giveaway. You can post it on your blog, or tweet it, or put it out there on Facebook. Just leave a THIRD comment with a link to show how you spread the word!

The giveaway will be open for comments until Thursday, February 10th, at midnight. I will randomly select a winner and will announce/contact that winner on Friday, Feb. 11th.

Good luck!!

Ah....Re-Organization!

2010-12-27T13:24:00.003-06:00

I wish I had taken "before" photos of my baking pan cabinet in the kitchen. It was a mess of pans and baking sheets in a completely random order, to the point that I only used a select few pans for fear of actually trying to locate any of the others. But it didn't even occur to me to photograph that cabinet until I finished my re-organization this morning and sat there, admiring how nice it now looked!

Are you wondering what in the world possessed me to suddenly decide to re-do my baking pan cabinet? Well, I got a 13x9 springform pan from my mom for Christmas and I couldn't fit it in the cabinet!!! So, I decided to pull everything out and see if I could possibly rearrange things to make more room.

After everything was out, I started sorting my pans (I have stainless steel, aluminum, glazed stoneware, and basic stoneware, so it's quite a mis-match collection!) by size/type. Then I got to thinking....what if I had all my bread pans together, and all my square pans together, and my round pans, and so on. I thought I would give this a try. Here is the left side of the 4-door cabinet that houses my baking pan stash:

The top shelf has my baking sheets on the left, then my Bundt-type pans. On the bottom shelf are my cooling racks on the far left, pies and angel food in the back, right behind my square pans. Springform pans (I now have round, square, and rectangular - yay!) are in the back beside pie plates, with my round pans in front of those. Here is the right side:

I have muffin pans and bread pans on the top shelf, with all my 13x9 pans on the bottom. You might notice one stoneware round pan on that bottom shelf. It's there partially because it actually FIT there, but partially because it's a large round pan that will hold about the same as one of my 13x9 pans, so in my mind, it made sense.

I love my stoneware, but I have learned over the past few months that I love my stainless steel pans at least as much. They bake great, clean up easily, and I don't have to worry about cracking them if I'm not careful! I got them from kitchencollection.com and they weren't expensive at all.

I really hope I can continue this organizing trend into the new year. I certainly have a LOT of cabinets that can use it! I also hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!!

Christmas Open House

2010-12-12T16:55:00.010-06:00

I managed to finish decorating the house, and even had company over yesterday for a cookie exchange! I know last year I posted some photos of the house and how it was adorned, but I thought it might be fun to do it again this year, especially for any new readers who don't want to go digging through the archives.

Here is a photo taken from the front door as an overview of my Christmas craziness!

If you look to the left, there is a stairwell, and I have a couple of trees there:

And going up those stairs I have garland:

In front of the stairs is what my kids call the "Tom Brady tree." It's decorated in blue and gold (U of Michigan colors, Tom's alma mater) and I have a U of Michigan ornament on one side, and a Tom Brady Patriots ornament on the other.

My lovely little elf stands beside the Tom Brady tree:

From the front door, looking up at the catwalk, more garland and a huge wreath:

And on the floor in front of you:

I love my fireplace in the living room!

Here is the main tree, fully loaded with ornaments:

And a peek into the dining room:

Can you tell I love Christmas??? :-)

It's a Perfect Day....

2010-11-17T16:07:00.004-06:00

If your first thought was "for a little rain," I love you!!!! :-) Of course, since most of my readers probably don't know much about my favorite singer, Suzy Bogguss, I doubt any of you actually thought that. If you did, please leave me a comment and make me smile!!

Actually, it's a perfect day for being at home, a fire blazing in the fireplace, sipping cocoa (maybe even with a little bit of Chocolate Mint Irish Cream in it....), and starting the Christmas decorating process! And that's just what I'm doing. It's cold and rainy outside...so dismal. I did get out this morning before the rain got going and did some grocery shopping, including purchasing my Thanksgiving turkey. Can't go wrong with HyVee's deal where you buy a wonderful ham and get your turkey free.

Since lunch, though, we've been hauling up bins and starting to unpack them. The first tree is up in the living room, but no decorations yet. I have a LOT of decor, and it takes me a long time to decorate, which is why I'm starting early. While working, though, I've been REALLY enjoying the fire. It's a cell-phone pic, but here is one I took earlier:

So beautiful and so warm. Yep, it's a perfect day. Hope you're enjoying it, too!!!

CSN Stores Review

2010-11-13T15:37:00.003-06:00

I have to say that I had a wonderful experience with CSN Stores in doing my review! The hardest part about the entire process was choosing what item to review!!! They have an amazing selection of products, and I have already found so many more things I simply must have!

The process of ordering was very easy. I browsed through the various stores, made my selection, and checked out. They have several payment options to make it convenient for anyone. I decided to get some new pillows, and I selected the Beautyrest 100% Pima Cotton Extra Firm Pillow (Set of 2). I placed my order, and very shortly thereafter, I received a confirmation email, detailing my purchase and providing me with a customer service number in case I had any questions.

Three business days later, a large bag arrived on my front porch. Talk about quick shipment! The pillows were completely sealed and arrived perfectly. They don't even have that typical "chemical" smell that you generally expect from new pillows. And they are definitely soft and great for sleeping! They are very high quality product that arrived at my door quickly and effortlessly.

I can't say I had any problems at all with CSN Stores, and would most definitely recommend them. Check them out for all your holiday shopping...you won't be disappointed!!

Disclaimer: I did receive a $45 credit to CSN Stores for the purpose of doing this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Holiday Shopping....Simplified and an Upcoming Review with CSN Stores!

2010-10-26T13:05:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe, but it's actually time to start thinking about holiday shopping. Where did the year go?? Whether you need a new dining room table for all of your relatives to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, or just a handful of toys to place under the Christmas tree for your favorite youngster, you can find all sorts of possibilities at CSN Stores!

I have recently discovered CSN Stores and have spent quite a bit of time perusing their more than 200 online stores. I've found everything from gifts to furniture to kitchen cookware....and all sorts of things in between!

I'm lucky enough that CSN Stores is offering me the opportunity to review a product from one of their wonderful online stores! I just have to figure out which of their many amazing products I want to try. Stay tuned...I will be posting a review very soon! In the meantime, pop over to CSN and see what you can't live without....or find some great holiday gift ideas!

Rick Riordan Rocks

2010-10-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

I am a sucker for alliteration. I guess it's the Grammar Guru in me. But even so, the title is totally true. Tonight, we went to hear Rick Riordan speak at a local event sponsored by Rainy Day Books in Kansas City.

If you don't know who Rick Riordan is, ask your kids. He is the author of the very well-read Percy Jackson series. If that doesn't ring a bell, how about the movie "The Lightning Thief?" That was based on (very loosely, I might add, and not really a very good representation) his novel.

What an exceptional speaker, and warm and friendly man who very obviously enjoys children!! From the moment he took the podium, he was eloquent and interesting and very humorous. He kept both children and adults entertained with tales from both his life and the lives of his characters. He was fascinating!

Here is an interesting tidbit: He has never seen the movie that was made from his "Lightning Thief" book. In fact, he had nothing to do with the film! Sound strange? I have great respect for his reasoning! He said that in his mind, he had a perfect image of all of the scenes, like Camp Half Blood, and the exact physical characteristics of all of his characters. He knew that if he were to watch the film adaptation, he would never be able to get those screen images out of his mind and it would ruin it for him.

I can't agree more! I have begun reading his latest book, "The Lost Hero," and found that whenever he mentions Chiron, I picture Pierce Brosnan (who portrayed Chiron in the movie). I hate that! I used to have a very different picture of Chiron, and I'm sure my mental picture was more what the author had in mind, but now it has been replaced with the "Hollywood version." I really do admire Rick Riordan for his decision not to view the movie.

If you haven't read any of the Percy Jackson novels, I definitely recommend them. There is a great base of Mythology mixed in with a truly interesting tale of teenage misfit kids who turn out to be heroes. And if Rick Riordan comes near you, go and see him. I promise you will enjoy his talk. Tonight was a great night!!!

Tag...I'm It?

2010-09-20T21:50:00.002-05:00

Okay, I got tagged by Beth from Two Monkeys & A Washtub today. And since I have been COMPLETELY neglecting her and her blog for some time (I'm so sorry, Beth!!), I absolutely MUST participate in the game!

Apparently I am to answer 8 questions that she asked, and then list 8 new questions and tag 8 other bloggers. Well, right now I promise to answer the questions, but I'm not sure about the tagging part. Hopefully it's okay to just start with the first part of the process?? *puppy dog eyes*

So, without further ado....here are the questions Beth has asked:

1. What's your favorite children's storybook? (even those without kids have a favorite children's story)

Mine was always "The Secret Garden." I still love it!

2. If we went out for dinner & drinks, what would you order?

Hmmmm....it depends on my mood. My go-to drink is a Seven & Seven, and sometimes a rum & Coke. But last night I was craving peach schnapps, so I ordered a Sex on the Beach; unfortunately, I am not sure what Danny's considers a Sex on the Beach, because this drink was NOT cranberry juice, peach schnapps, and/or vodka - it had pineapple juice, grenadine, and I don't even know what else. Not bad, but NOT at all what I wanted. I can guarantee you I wouldn't order beer....bleah. As for food, I tend to take FOREVER to order, and then I usually change something (think Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally" sans the fake orgasm...lol). Generally, I will probably order something with grilled chicken and quite possibly a baked potato.

3. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? and why?

I love Pistachio-Almond. Why? I have no idea - have just always loved it.

4. If you had $500 to spend on yourself, where would you go shopping and what would you buy? You can't save it!

I'm going to assume I don't have to spend it all in one place. I would order a Fitbit online, because I really want one of those!! That's $99. Then I'd probably go to Hobby Lobby and buy some really cool yarn that I would never buy otherwise and some Swarovski crystal beads. Probably spend about $50 there. I would then go to Kohl's and spend the rest on clothes (I love Kohl's) and stuff for the kitchen. I'm a gadget junkie and love new stuff for the kitchen. Okay, I'm sure I've spent $500 by now!! :-)

5. Do you have any regrets or things you wish you had the chance to do over? If so, why?

Oh wow....this is a complete blog all its own, but probably something about which I would never, ever blog. There are soooo many things that I would love to do over! My kids and family are probably the one thing I wouldn't re-do!! lol

6. What sports do you enjoy? playing and/or watching? or playing/participating in back in high school?

I am a football junkie!! Give me the NFL or even some good college teams and I'm a happy girl. I have two fantasy football teams, and even though they both SUCK so far this year, I still enjoy playing. I can handle a little baseball now and then in small doses, and I really enjoy watching Gymnastics. But participating? Not me. Never have been into sports one little bit. Okay, there's a regret for you - I really wish I had learned to play some sort of sport....softball or tennis or something. I wish I could participate in a sport now, as I think that would be a fun activity and a great way to exercise and meet people.

7. If you could drive any car, what would you pick, and what color would it be?

A convertible. I don't care what kind...I just REALLLLLLLLLLY want a convertible. Color is even up in the air, but I've always had a thing for that teal-ish blue that is so rare and cool.

8. When you go grocery shopping, what's the one thing you tend to buy on impulse? You know that thing that looks so yummy that it has to be thrown in the cart?

For me, it isn't the item, exactly. It's the deal. If something is really a great price, that's what I buy on impulse. For instance, last week I was really sticking well to my list at HyVee. But then I wandered past the lunchmeat case and found sliced chicken marked down - 1 pound bags for $.99! I bought 9 of them because that was a steal!! I'm a sucker for mark-downs, even if we don't need the item!!

Well, there you go! More than you ever could possibly have wanted to know about me! And I'm not saying I won't come up with 8 questions and 8 bloggers later...just not tonight. Hey, I've already done two blog posts today. That's a big deal for me!! :-)

Jazzin' it up

2010-09-20T16:16:00.002-05:00

Today I did something completely out-of-the-ordinary for me! I attended my first-ever Jazzercise class. I have a friend who has done it for a long time and she even works at her local location, and she talked me into giving it a try. About a month ago, Groupon.com had a special: $39 for 2 months of unlimited classes. I thought that was the best way to try it.

I have to say, it was FUN! The hour class went by so fast, and the instructor was really great and upbeat. She knew everyone by name and talked to us throughout the class, as well as calling out instruction. I was very impressed. The bad thing was that it was hard to mirror her movements, as she went FAST from one move to the next. I felt very uncoordinated and couldn't catch onto many of the movements during class. However, they tell you that it's okay to not "get" it - just keep moving, even if it's simply marching in place.

I did notice that there were a variety of levels of Jazzercise knowledge in my class, and after class, Michelle (the instructor) took time to talk to me. She told me that everyone else in the class was either a dancer (which helps tremendously in doing the movements) or has been Jazzercising for years. She told me that I did very well for my very first time (though I suspect she's supposed to say that....lol) and even broke down a few of the especially difficult combinations to show me in slow-motion. That helped a lot! Now I can do the Grapevine just fine, but there are still others that are going to take a lot more practice.

I plan to try class again on Wednesday morning, and then on Friday. She told me that different classes have different combinations, so it might be interesting. I already expect to be completely lost! :-) At least I finally got up the nerve to try something different, though. And it was a fun time. Hopefully it will stay fun and I will keep at it. I could definitely use some regular exercise!!!

In other, more frugal news, I made laundry soap today. Haven't done that in awhile, since I got a really good deal on some Purex. But I had run out, and didn't want to go pay too much for it. I forgot how good the homemade stuff smells......

The Finale

2010-09-17T21:46:00.004-05:00

Doesn't that look yummy?? Let me tell you...it was G-O-O-D!! We had slices nice and warm and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmm!! And even better is the fact that I got to enjoy this pie knowing it was the LAST of the apples I had to process! That made it even sweeter!!

All told, from my brother's unwanted apple tree, I ended up with:

8 gallons of apple pie filling
8 quarts of unsweetened applesauce
6 quarts of sweetened applesauce
4.5 quarts of apple butter
That delicious apple pie

AND, I still passed along a LOT of apples to a friend! Three large boxes found a new home, and hopefully some new recipes for another family today. I just hope she doesn't hate me by the time she finishes processing allllll of those apples!

The work isn't the most fun thing to do, but enjoying the "fruits of my labors" for many months to come is wonderful. The kids absolutely LOVE my homemade applesauce, and I use the unsweetened variety for baking throughout the year. Considering that I add nothing but water to the unsweetened, it really is a "free" item, monetarily speaking. And it really is worth the effort.

So my freezers are now absolutely packed. I used up the last bit of space today with the deli chicken lunchmeat I found at HyVee for .99 a pound. I got 9 pounds of it and popped it into one of my freezers. That will last awhile, and the kids love sandwiches and soup for weekend lunches - score!

Apple season has ended here. Next up will be pumpkin...but we gotta eat some stuff first!! :-)

Sort of a Post

2010-09-16T23:19:00.003-05:00

I posted today on Not Just Leftovers, so I think that should count! :-) Okay, maybe it doesn't, but it's been a busy day and I'm tired and going to bed. So head over HERE for today's post! Have a wonderful tomorrow!!

An Apple a Day

2010-09-15T22:16:00.002-05:00

...or perhaps a couple bushel a day? I know I missed posting yesterday; I didn't forget, but I was just too exhausted to post. Yesterday I peeled, cored, and sliced a LOT of apples, cooked them down and pureed them into applesauce. I put 12 quarts in the freezer. Shortly after I was done with that, I cleaned up and made dinner, then dashed off to a school Room Parent Meeting, immediately followed by a PTA Meeting (I am the Recording Secretary). It was a very busy day!

Today I finished what I am going to do with the apples. I made about 5 quarts of apple butter and one huge and very yummy apple pie. I canned up the butter and it's very pretty in the jars. I had to can 4 pints, as I ran out of smaller jars. Guess we will be eating a lot of apple butter for awhile when we open those! Tonight I made angel biscuits with dinner so we could enjoy the butter...but I made a bit of an error. I was tired and in a hurry and I followed Paula Deen's recipe. I realized about halfway into it that I had forgotten this was a HUGE recipe and I needed to cut it in half. Oops. I ended up with way more biscuits than we can eat in a day! Guess we will be having biscuits and apple butter tomorrow, too! :)

I'm just going to keep this short and sweet tonight. I will try to post the how-I-make-applesauce post tomorrow. Tonight my brain just wants to go to bed, but I didn't want to miss two days in a row since I said I would post every day. I still owe you guys a post....I will try to make it a good one!

No signature tonight, either...I'm typing this on the netbook, which doesn't have any photo files. I'm really with it tonight....lol. Have a great night!!!!

Apple Pie Filling

2010-09-13T12:25:00.002-05:00

Lisa B. asked me about my recipes for my apple pie filling and applesauce. Today I started on the apples, but I only did one cooler full, as I have company coming for dinner tonight and much to do. So today's focus was on apple pie filling. I plan to do applesauce tomorrow and I will try to pay attention to my recipe, as I just make it....I don't follow a specific format. :-)

My apple pie filling is a bit unorthodox from what I can tell in looking at other recipes for filling. It was borne from trial and error, and it just works for me! A few years ago, I had apples from my brother's tree and I was making full apple pies, par-baking them, and freezing them for later. I got so tired of the process that I decided to try freezing a pie WITHOUT the par-baking step. I made the crust, formed the pie, wrapped it in foil, and popped it into the freezer, totally raw.

About a month later, I decided to try one of my un-cooked creations. I pulled it from the freezer and allowed it to thaw, then dabbed on a bit of butter, sliding it under the slits in the crust, and popped it into the oven. To my delight, it worked perfectly! The texture was just fine and the pie tasted wonderful...I couldn't really tell a difference between the pies I froze uncooked and the ones where I began the cooking process prior to freezing.

After this discovery, I took the pie-making process a step simpler. I made up the filling as if to put it into a crust, but then I put it in a ziploc bag instead. This way I could just make the dough and form the pie at the time I wanted to make it, which made the process longer at the actual baking stage, but so much easier on the front end doing the preparation. Since I had a LOT of apples, simplifying the prep made the most sense. As a result, I had apples that I used both for pie filling and for "fried" apples at dinner. I would simply remove a bag of pie filling, thaw it, and put it in a microwave-safe container (typically a Pyrex 8 cup glass measure). About 8 minutes on high and I had a great side dish that the kids loved and that tasted like I had just peeled them.

So, now that you have background on my out-of-the-ordinary freezer apple pie filling, here is how I do it now:

Into a gallon-size freezer bag, place the following: 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Shake lightly to combine.
Pour in 8 cups of peeled and sliced apples and seal the bag. Shake and toss to combine and evenly coat the apple slices.
Open the bag to release the air and re-seal the bag.
Freeze until ready to use.

To make the pie, thaw the filling. Lay bottom crust in pie plate, then fill with bag of filling. Dot with a couple of tablespoons of butter. Top with either a second crust or a struesel topping. Place in oven and bake at 425° for about 45 minutes, covering the edges of the crust if needed to prevent over-browning.

If you're interested, I've finished the round cooler of apples, and I have 8 gallon bags of apple pie filling in the freezer as I type. That's enough for now. Tomorrow I will focus on applesauce, and decide whether I want to freeze it or can it - I'm still not sure. Then I will make apple butter and see where I am. If I still have apples left, then I will make more pie filling. It's Apple Week at my house! :-) Happy autumn!!!!

Shake, Shake the Apple Tree

2010-09-12T16:15:00.002-05:00

Did anyone else sing a silly song back in the early days of elementary school that went:
Shake, shake the apple tree
Apples red and rosy
Shake, shake the apple tree
Apples red and rosy
One for you, one for me
Shake, shake the apple tree

I remember singing that song with my friend Alberta waaaaay back when. I think maybe we were in first grade. Ah, the funny little memories that stay with you...

In my situation today, the apples are not red and rosy, though. They are nice and green, tart Granny Smith apples, and I have LOTS!! My brother lives about 40 minutes away and he has an apple tree in his backyard. For whatever bizarre reason, they will NOT eat the apples from the tree. I have to assume it is because the fruit is very much "organic" and tend to have patches of little brown speckles on them and some are not perfectly shaped, like the chemically-altered ones they buy in the store.

Since they loathe this poor tree and it's bountiful harvest, the kids and I drove over today to pick the tree. It's pretty tall, so a lot of shaking had to be done, as well. Apples were falling everywhere to be collected. I came home with two large coolers full, as well as 3 good-sized boxes and a large Target sack. I've seriously got some apples!!!

What does one do with such a mass quantity of apples, other than go insane and have nightmares of being buried under a pile of the little green balls? What I intend to do, and as I have done in the past, is make bags of apple pie filling and lots of applesauce for the freezer. I will also turn some into thick apple butter that I will can to eat over the next year or so. I love how the house smells while the butter cooks...and I've already had three people ask me if I would be willing to give them a jar or two. Apparently I've become a grandmother before my time....lol

I'm having company for dinner tomorrow, so I'm not sure I will get much processing done before Tuesday, but I will probably spend pretty much my entire days on Tuesday and Wednesday working with my gleaned fruit. I will likely cook my apple butter overnight on Tuesday so I can get it canned first thing on Wednesday. By the end of the week, I will have all sorts of relatively free food in my freezer and canned on the shelves. It's only going to cost me the sugar and seasonings.

Yes, these apples are sometimes imperfect, but once they've been peeled, cored, and sliced, nobody can tell the difference. And my kids think homemade applesauce is the BOMB!

Funny Thing About Blogging

2010-09-11T22:35:00.002-05:00

I just realized that it's bedtime and I haven't blogged yet today. I did say I was going to post every day in September, so I figured I had better come up with a topic, and fast! :)

I've been a little bit amused in the past week or so. I'm finally making an effort to actually do something with this long-neglected blog, and yet I've been getting more unsubscription requests than I've seen before now! Isn't that funny? I post on my blog to increase interest and readership, and I'm losing subscribers.

Do people really subscribe to a blog to NOT get posts??? The world is a very strange place, and people never cease to amuse or amaze me. If you're still hanging around and reading my daily bizarre posts, thanks!! I will work harder to start blogging on more interesting topics. If you have any thoughts or ideas, leave a comment!!

That's it...short and sweet tonight. Tomorrow I'm guessing I will be blogging about apples. Stay tuned to find out why......

I am NOT Smarter than a Fifth Grader

2010-09-10T21:02:00.002-05:00

Actually, there are a lot of questions that I get incorrect on that fun game show, but in this case, I am referring to the significant difference between being a fifth grader today and being that age when we old-timers were younger.

Remember when it was enough to answer a question by talking directly with a teacher? Or when writing a paragraph that was more than three sentences was considered going beyond the requirements? Life was so much simpler back then, and we still thought we had it tough in school.

Tonight, I've spent about the past two hours working on a project with my fifth grade daughter. She is applying to be in a particular club at school, and rather than just being able to raise her hand to say, "I want to join!" (that's what we did, right??), she is required to submit an application to show how creative and excited she is so she might get selected as a member of this group.

So, you might be wondering, what is it that we have to do? We have to make a DVD of her doing a mock video announcement presentation and interview for the school. I consider myself somewhat technologically savvy, but I do not have modern video equipment to make this as easy as it might sound. Rather, I have what I consider an older but still nice camera, a fairly modern computer, and your typical average DVD player.

Well, guess what? These three items might be great individually, but collectively they hate each other!!! The formats vary on each component, and trying to sync them together has been a total nightmare!! All I can say is thank goodness for Google! I tried a bunch of different searches and finally found a software that appeared to be safe that converted .avi files to files that could be read by a DVD player. So, I took the chance and downloaded it.

A test DVD was burned with some karaoke files I have stored on the computer. The files were converted and burned and with great trepidation, we took the DVD to the player. Squeals of delight were heard as the video came on the screen. It actually worked!!! Considering that this project is due on Monday, I am soooooooo thankful that we were able to make this work.

Of course, now we still have to create the video file of my daughter and locate the software on my computer (yeah, I always seem to have trouble finding them again!), convert that file and get it burned successfully. I only hope that it works that time, too. It just has to....it HAS TO!

When did fifth graders have to become technology experts and DVD creators? I have a college degree, did pretty well on my ACTs, and can even keep up my end of a conversation about red zone offenses and fantasy football....but I am NOT smarter than a fifth grader!!

Did You Know That I'm a Troublemaker??

2010-09-09T20:38:00.003-05:00

I was actually mildly surprised to learn this today. And the saddest part about my status as a troublemaker is that the main situation that resulted in this realization was a time when I believed I was being helpful! Go figure!!

A little background on my alleged troublemaking: Our school district recently instituted a policy whereby no homemade treats are allowed during class parties. As you know if you read my blog post yesterday, I made a TON of cookies for a school function. An important point to note is that I specifically read the Official School District Policy on homemade treats. The policy is written to include ONLY treats made for the "classroom." I read it over and over and over again, and I was absolutely certain that this new policy was written for classroom treats. I know this, because that's what it SAYS!

Well, tonight I got lectured. Apparently even though the policy is specific, there is not a single non-packaged treat allowed beyond the school doors! The cookies were allowed to be served, but I was informed I was never to do that again. I would comment on the person doing the reprimand, but I do try to keep my blog family-friendly! ;-)

What's kind of funny about the whole thing is that I got several compliments on my "taboo" cookies. I even had a few scoff at the school policy. One guy told me, "screw it." lol Everyone LIKED my cookies...so there, awful school policy!!

Yeah, it's fun to cause trouble sometimes. And guess what? I'm good at it!!!! I think I will keep at it....someone has to keep things interesting around here!

Death by Cookie

2010-09-08T21:10:00.004-05:00

Well, maybe not quite, but I am definitely sick to death of making cookies!! :) I'm very involved with a program at the girls' school called Watch D.O.G.S., and tomorrow night is the big pizza kick-off to launch the program for this school year. As my contribution to the event, I agreed to bake all the cookies for the dessert for everyone.

Yes, I am insane! I started about 3:00 this afternoon, and just finished. I baked over 350 cookies!!! I made oatmeal crispies, oatmeal chocolate chip, and snickerdoodles. Fortunately, I was able to buy the ingredients with Watch D.O.G.S. funds, but I have mixed and shaped and baked and arranged until I don't even want to look at another cookie!

I definitely enjoy baking, and my cookies are, of course, better than anything we could buy at the store, but wow! 350 cookies is a lot to tackle in one day! I sure hope all the dads and kids enjoy them. Next year, I just might think twice about offering my baking services, though! :-)

Now, I think it's time to crash! I have a feeling my dreams tonight will center around cookies!!!

Sometimes Nutrition Goes Out the Window

2010-09-07T16:01:00.003-05:00

As a general rule, I plan dinners that have a decent level of nutrition, and a nice balance of food groups. We have a meat, a grain, vegetables and maybe fruits, and often a whole-grain bread. And sometimes we have biscuits or not-so-healthy breads when they are a better accompaniment to the rest of the meal.

But every once in awhile, it's really fun to just toss out the idea of being healthy and just have an off-the-wall, fun kind of dinner. We had one of those tonight. DH has a meeting, where he will be eating pizza. I knew the kids would be sad that they weren't getting pizza, too, so I wanted to give them a meal that would excite them. And maybe I also wanted to be told how cool I am...but that's another issue entirely. :)

So for dinner tonight, we had ham and cheese crustless quiche (they LOVE this) and.....wait for it..........cinnamon rolls!!! Barely a bit of healthy stuff in the entire meal, but it was just so much fun, and they weren't upset at all about missing out on pizza! I let those cinnamon rolls rise for about 2 1/2 hours and they were huge and fluffy and sooooo gooey. Yummmmm!!!!

Another pretty much nutritionally defunct dinner I've made is hamburgers, french fries, and strawberry shakes. Again, they absolutely loved it. And if we had gone out to a fast food place for dinner, isn't there a good chance they would have ordered a very similar meal? At least I know what exactly they were eating by making everything at home!!

So what do you make when you throw nutrition out the window and make a fun family meal? I'm definitely not suggesting that you practice this often, but just every now and again when you just want something different. I'd love to hear some new suggestions, although I'm SURE it will be a long while before I do this again. Yeah...at least a week! ;-)

The "Official" End of Summer

2010-09-06T14:04:00.002-05:00

Labor Day. The widely-accepted symbol of the end of summer. The day you're supposed to pack away your white shoes and other "summery" attire. Yeah, I don't do that either! I figure if someone is rude enough to tell me I shouldn't be wearing something at a specific time of year, then they are even more in need of a life than I am. I will pity them. And say bad things about them when they aren't around. But I'll never admit that. Oops. :)

The weather has been changing a bit lately, and it's a welcome change. This was such a miserably hot summer that these days in the low 80s are wonderful. We even have a nice breeze lately, and I told my older daughter today that we need to start taking walks again after dinner. The weather is perfect!

As we move into fall, I know I'm looking forward to making more hearty soups and stews. I can't wait until the scents of pumpkin and cinnamon flow from my kitchen. And then there are the apples. Fall is the season of apples, and it sounds like I will get a nice bounty from my brother's tree this year. The problem is that I freeze apple pie filling and applesauce whenever his tree produces, and right now there is NO room in my freezers. I need to work on that, since he says the tree is ready, and I need to go pick next weekend. I guess menu planning is in order!! I really should get back into that habit. It's after 2 right now, and I still don't know what I'm making for dinner.

What is on your list of fall foods that you can't wait to make again? I definitely am ready for a nice cool day to serve Cheeseburger Soup in sourdough bread bowls. I will soon be buying corn chips to make Frito Chili Pies. I also love to have chicken curry in the cooler months, but haven't managed to sell the kids on eating it yet. Generally, I'm not a spicy cook, but I really like curry. And fall means more baking. It's okay to heat up the kitchen when it's cooler outside, and I love to spend hours in the kitchen creating baked treats. Sadly, we can't make anything for the school parties anymore, but I will still be baking a lot! In fact, this week, I get to make cookies for a Watch D.O.G.S. function. I'm thinking snickerdoodles and oatmeal crispies...yum!

Leave a comment with some of your favorite fall fare. And if you've posted the recipe on your blog, leave a link. I'm always interested in new tried-and-true recipes. Isn't everyone??

Variety is the Music of the Soul

2010-09-05T16:39:00.004-05:00

Okay, maybe not, but it sounds so poetic, doesn't it?? :-)

I was thinking earlier about my vast variety of musical likes, and decided that I had my posting topic for today! I'd love to hear from others if their tastes vary as widely as mine!

To give you an indication of just how wide the spectrum is with me, later this month I am attending a Smashing Pumpkins concert. Woohoo! Next month, I will be seeing Suzy Bogguss live and I couldn't be happier! How's that for some variety??

I would have to say that Suzy is my favorite singer. She is the one I have seen perform many more times than anyone else, and she knows me on sight. We are on a first-name basis, which I cherish. If you don't know who she is, you owe it to yourself to look her up. Her voice is angelic and perfect, and she never ceases to amaze me. I'm thrilled that she is going to be close enough that my friend, Mark, and I are going to be able to go and see her in October.

I definitely have to say that I cannot easily find similarities between Suzy and the Pumpkins. And I can't really say what I like about the Pumpkins, but for whatever reason, I enjoy them. The only other band of that general genre that I like is Bowling for Soup, another out-there oddity for me.

Other groups/singers that you will find in mass quantity on my iPod include Richard Marx and Rick Springfield. I've loved them since my teenage years, and have had the pleasure of seeing both in concert. Rick is actually coming to town this December, but I still haven't found anyone else willing to attend with me. Drat! I've met Rick a couple of times, too, at Meet & Greets; however, he wouldn't know me from anyone!

I'm also partial to 80s hair bands, but I doubt there are many who were teenagers in the 80s who don't like the beloved hair bands! Give me a little Twisted Sister or Motley Crue anytime. :-) But then I enjoy country music, too. I love Brad Paisley, Terry Clark, JoDee Messina, and Reba McEntire and am very fond of Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum. "Need You Now" was my favorite song for quite some time. Sadly, a bad experience ended up tied to the song, and now it's fallen in favor because hearing it upsets me. I hate when things like that happen!!! Why do bad memories happen to good songs??? I'm sure I will eventually get past it and disassociate the memory with the song, but right now, I don't even like hearing the song. That sucks!

So what does your playlist contain? Is it as vast and crazy as mine, or do you stick to a more specific style most of the time? I should probably also admit this....I like Barry Manilow, too! But shhhh!! Don't tell anyone!

I'm Much Better at Caraoke

2010-09-04T15:38:00.003-05:00

No, that isn't a mis-spelling. I consider singing in the car while driving to be "Caraoke." And I love it!! Generally, I caraoke mostly when I'm by myself, but I don't mind terribly if the kids are along for the ride - as long as they don't complain TOO loudly! ;-)

If I've had enough to drink, however, I will caraoke with anyone else in the vehicle. It's just fun, and who cares if you're off-key, especially if you're by yourself (as long as the windows aren't down and you're going completely to town, anyway!)?

But while I love caraoke, I'm still not a huge fan of karaoke, cause I suck at it! Yes, I've done it, and I've been to karaoke bars now more times than I can count; in fact, I'm going to one tonight. I just hate knowing that I am subjecting those poor people in the venue to my terrible singing. Of course, if I think about it, they have probably also had enough to drink that it all sounds fine, anyway!

I used to be able to count the number of times I had been dragged to the karaoke stage on one hand, but I think I've finally gotten past that point. Some of my public highlights.....I know I've done "Jackson" (Johnny Cash) twice, at two different venues. I recorded the second time, and I was mortified at how terrible I sounded - I just HAD to try and pull off a southern accent while singing...*sigh* I've done "Love Shack," also twice, and also at the same two venues, but in each case there were three of us singing. I was made to do "I Love Rock and Roll" with a friend recently, and I know she and I have done at least one other song, but I can't recall what it was.

I've done a bunch of songs at a couple of parties, but I couldn't begin to list them. The one that stands out is "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," mainly because that is just NOT a girl's song! I remember almost laughing out loud at having to sing some of the lines. But at the time, I was the only one in the room who really knew the song, and it's one that I really like....and I'd had a considerable amount of Coke and vodka, too.

I definitely wonder what tonight holds. I'll be there with two people I've known since I was a teen-ager, so I know two things: 1) they aren't going to care if I suck; and 2) because of this, they ARE going to make me sing! At least I know it will be a good time. I can promise one thing....I won't be going up there to sing by myself! The world will never be drunk enough to handle that nightmare!

Hope you have fun plans for this Saturday night!

Let's Just Go with Self-Improvements

2010-09-03T08:30:00.004-05:00

September is turning into an interesting month, and it's only the 3rd! I've already blogged that I'm going to post something every day - and everyone knows that once it's out there for all the world to see on a blog, it has to happen...right?

Well, yesterday I decided on something else I want (okay, actually, NEED) to try this month: setting a tight grocery budget and sticking to it! I'm going to TRY to get by on $50 a week because we're pretty well-stocked in the pantry and freezers. These two things are both challenges for me and goals I've set. So what does that make them? Choals, or maybe goanges? Yeah, those just don't work at all! So, hence the subject line...let's just go with self-improvements...or at least an attempt at such!!

I did well yesterday at my quest to keep my groceries on track. I thought I got a LOT for what I spent. I found some awesome deals on canned goods at Hen House with the coupons that I had, and picked up some deals at both Price Chopper and Hy-Vee. I came home with 9 bags of groceries, which included 3 large packages of bone-in chicken breasts and 3 lbs of 93% lean ground beef, as well as 12 cans of veggies, 16 cans of fruit, 3 cans of Spaghettios, 4 quarts of ice cream, a big bag of grapes, bagged salad, 5 lbs. of cheese, and lots of other stuff that I won't bore you by listing, and I spent $50.51. I should have taken a photo, as it was a LOT of food!

So here's hoping I can stick to budget - and stay on the "self-improvement" track. Of course, is it really self-improvement to cut the grocery bill and blog? I guess not, but at least it sounds good!! :-) I may have to see what other goals I can set for the month....or maybe save them for October. It's so hard to believe that we're this close to the end of the year, when things REALLY get crazy! December is in three months! Yikes!!

I hope everyone reading this (if anyone even is these days!) is enjoying the hint of fall in the air and having a goal-centered and self-improving September. If you aren't, then blog about it...and then it HAS to happen...right?

Beverly Hills....

2010-09-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

Did you notice the date today? It's 9-02-10, or, as I like to think of it, "90210." Admit it - you remember that show! You probably even watched it, whether you admitted to it or not. It was just one of those shows that everyone could relate to on some level, even if your reason for watching was just to see how ridiculous the story lines could get from week to week!!

I don't remember the show's specifics too well anymore (getting older and all that...), but I definitely recall disliking Brenda, thinking Dylan was someone with whom I would REALLY like getting into trouble, hoping for good things to happen for Kelly, and secretly thinking Brian Austin-Green was adorable!!! To this day, I still don't care much for Shannon Doherty or Tori Spelling, but I smile whenever I see Jennie Garth on something. Funny how silly things like that stay with you sometimes, isn't it?

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you are probably thinking that this is a very bizarre topic for me to be addressing. You're right! But the thing is, I've decided that I want to try and post something, anything, every day in the month of September. And today, while I'm sitting here at the computer, 90210 happened to be on my mind. So I certainly can't promise you that my posts will be interesting, entertaining, or even long, but I am going to make every effort to at least post SOMETHING! And maybe, just maybe, I will get back into my blogging spirit and start spouting such fascinating information that you will be on the edge of your seat, waiting to find out what I have to say.

Hey, a girl can dream.....

I've Created an Over-Achiever!

2010-09-01T14:30:00.002-05:00

For awhile now, I've considered my 5th grader to be 10-going-on-16. She's very picky about her hair and clothing and how she carries herself. It's very cute, but can be trying when I can't get her bangs to lay just-so.

The other day, she announced that she was considering joining the 5th grade choir. I was puzzled, as the child cannot sing any better than I can, and believe me when I say that I can't sing!!! So I asked her why in the world she wanted to join Choir. I got "the look," which basically says that I am completely clueless. Seriously, shouldn't I have a few more years until I start getting that look???

Do you know what my sweet daughter told me was her rationale? "Mom," she said, sounding all grown up. "I have to start thinking about my extra-curricular activities for when I fill out my applications to Yale and Harvard." Wow...how could I have missed THAT?!? Of course....what else could it possibly be????

Oh, and I probably never mentioned that she fully intends to attend an Ivy-League school on scholarship. That's just the way it's going to be.

Is my daughter merely an over-achiever? Is there even a word for someone who puts that term to shame? This girl has big dreams....and she shows no signs of backing down. She's absolutely amazing!! :-)

Yoplait Whips! Gift Pack Winner

2010-08-19T07:58:00.002-05:00

I still can't figure out the screen-shot thing, because I get the entire page, which is not what I want. I just want to capture that little number generator. People do it all the time, so why is it so beyond my grasp?? I will figure it out someday!!

On a more positive note, I had 23 valid comments for the giveaway, and random.org gave me #14 as the winner. So, congratulations to bri!! I will be emailing you today to get your contact information.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and enjoy the gift pack, bri!!

Sam's Club Gift Card Winner!!

2010-08-18T06:50:00.005-05:00

I can NOT figure out how people manage to post that pretty little random.org generator on their blogs to announce a winner. If anyone can tell me how to do that, it would be wonderful!!!

I just picked a winner of the $25 Sam's Club gift card. Congratulations to comment #37, as selected by random.org. That comment was left by Tammy K!! Tammy, I will be emailing you today to get your information so that MyBlogSpark can send you the gift card!

Thanks to everyone for entering, and if you haven't entered for the Yoplait Whips! gift pack, today is the last day for entries!!

Yoplait Whips - The Perfect Summer Treat - and a Giveaway!

2010-08-09T20:24:00.006-05:00

I don't know about where you are, but it's certainly HOT-HOT-HOT here! I forget the last time I watched the news without hearing about an "excessive heat warning." Right now it's 8:30 p.m. and still 89° outside. And in the middle of the country, that's generally a very humid heat, too! Bleah!!! When it's this hot outside, you just NEED a cold, creamy, refreshing treat to cool you off and improve your mood!

The summer heat is no match for a frozen Yoplait Whips! yogurt - the same whipped yogurt that´s so unbelievably fluffy and light when enjoyed right from the refrigerator. Simply place your favorite Whips! yogurt cup in the freezer overnight and you will have a chilled yogurt indulgence without the calories of regular ice cream. So, this summer, before you head outside for fun in the sun, don´t forget to stock your freezer with Yoplait Whips! (Yoplait suggests removing the Yoplait Whips! from the freezer for just 5-10 minutes before enjoying).

Yoplait Whips! yogurt is currently available in nine delectable flavors - Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Raspberry, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Burst, Orange Créme, Peaches `N Cream, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mist, and Vanilla Créme. Don't those all sound just heavenly? What a delicious way to chill out in the heat of summer!

Are you ready for the GIVEAWAY?? Read on......

How cute is that prize package?? It's an adorable Yoplait cooler/lunch box, a FREE container of Yoplait Whips and the CUTEST little set of ice cream cone-shaped popsicle molds! Who wouldn't have fun with that??? Would you like to win one for yourself?? I'd like to give you that chance!

Yoplait, through MyBlogSpark, is offering one of my readers this very prize pack (your free Whips! would come in the form of a free product coupon, however!). To enter this giveaway, simply leave me a comment telling me which of those nine delightful flavors you think you would find the most fun as a frozen treat. For a couple of bonus entries, you can do either or both of the following, leaving a comment for each:

* Follow this blog, or if you already follow, just let me know that.
* Subscribe via email or a reader; again, if you already subscribe, just post that you do!

This giveaway will run until midnight on Wednesday, August 18th. At that time, I will use random.org to select a winner. The prize package will be shipped directly from MyBlogSpark. Best of luck to you - this truly is a fun prize!!

While you are waiting to see if you are the lucky winner, don´t forget to visit Yoplait on Facebook or Yoplait on Twitter and "Like" or "Follow" the brand to keep up with their latest and greatest products.

I've also got a Sam's Club gift card giveaway going on - be sure to enter that one, too!!!

Disclaimer: Yoplait, through MyBlogSpark, provided me with an identical prize package, information, and giveaway.

Back to School with Sam's Club - A Giveaway!!

2010-08-09T19:28:00.003-05:00

Back to school....already? Is that really possible?? I'm just not ready! For me, along with the kids heading back to the grind, things also get crazy in my life. See, I'm one of those moms who loves to volunteer at the school. One of the positions I hold at the girls' school is the Box Tops Coordinator, and at the start of the year, I have a huge contest where the class that collects the most gets a pizza party. The kids LOVE it and it raises a lot of money for the school!

Box Tops are such an important thing to save. It may not seem like ten cents is much, but when every child saves them, it's amazing how quickly they add up to huge amounts of money. I raised over $1,800 last year as the coordinator. That is truly amazing, and so many wonderful things were able to be done with that money. Schools are struggling to make ends meet, so every Box Top counts today more than ever.

I bet you have some Box Tops for Education in your pantry or cabinets right now. There are so many products that offer this wonderful benefit. Examples include:

General Mills Cereals (Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp, Total, etc.)
Betty Crocker baking mixes
Hamburger Helper
Kleenex
Ziploc Bags
Land O Lakes Butter and Cheeses
Huggies Diapers
Hefty Waste Bags
Avery Binders
....and SO MANY MORE things you use every day! For the full listing of products with Box Tops on them, please visit http://www.boxtops4education.com . While you are there, sign up for the very occasional Box Tops email. Your school gets 5 bonus Box Tops simply for your registration - does it get easier??

Did you know that Sam's Club can help you to help your child's school? They have some amazing things going on right now in connection with the Box Tops for Education program. You can head over to your local Sam´s Club from Aug. 11 through Aug. 31 and earn more cash for your school. At the Sam´s Club Back-to-School event, you can get a head start on your collection and find 6 Box Tops on participating General Mills products. With your favorite Box Tops for Education brands at a great value, Sam´s Club is your one-stop destination for all your back-to-school supplies you need to send your kids off to school with confidence!

In addition, and this is even more incredible, Sam´s Club is giving you the opportunity to earn even MORE Box Tops when you upgrade to a "Plus Membership." From Aug. 6 - Aug. 13, or while supplies last, visit the Member Services Desk of your local Sam´s Club and upon payment for your Plus Membership, you will receive a certificate for 150 Bonus Box Tops! For more information on how you can take advantage of the Back-to-School event at Sam´s Club, visit www.samsclub.com today! That certificate is worth FIFTEEN DOLLARS to the school of your choice. Those can help so much!!

And, now here is the REALLY exciting part!! I want to help you help your school and your budget! Sam's Club and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark, are offering you the chance to WIN a $25 gift card to Sam's Club to help you get all those back-to-school essentials!! You can use it for anything Sam's carries, including all the wonderful products that help support schools through Box Tops.

To enter the giveaway, please leave me a comment telling me which General Mills products you are most likely to purchase with gift card. $25 can go quite a long way at Sam's Club! For a couple of bonus entries, you can do either of the following; just be sure and leave a comment for each:

* Follow this blog, or if you already follow, just let me know that.
* Subscribe via email or a reader; again, if you already subscribe, just post that you do!

This giveaway will run until midnight on Tuesday, August 17th. At that time, I will use random.org to select a winner and the gift card will be sent directly from MyBlogSpark. Good luck, and thank you so much for supporting our educational system by saving those Box Tops!!

Disclaimer: Sam´s Club and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark, provided me with a $25 Sam´s Club gift card, an option for a Plus membership, information, and this giveaway.

The Disappearance of....Me!

2010-08-05T16:56:00.005-05:00

I actually got a phone call today asking me why I hadn't posted in so very long. You know, I can't even answer that. Time has truly gotten away from me this summer. I can't believe that it's almost over and the kids go back in less than two weeks - how sad!!!

I can't say that anything of great consequence has happened over the summer, or that the kids and I accomplished anything at all, really. We've just enjoyed relaxing and spent most of our time at home in the cool. We haven't even done the Kids Bowl Free program this year...it just never happened. I have to say, it has been an extremely nice summer and I've enjoyed just about every minute of it (just don't ask about the broken glasses/almost eye injury/hula hoop incident...really!).

There have been some other not-so-great incidents over the past couple of months, as well. One day I was getting dressed and heard a strange sound other than the rain outside. It was rain INside. Yes, there was a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Turns out we had a broken turbine in the roof. We still haven't assessed all the attic damage because of the extreme heat. I know there is some insulation to be removed and replaced. The day after this, DH was coming home from work and his car just stopped. It ended up needing a new transmission. Let me tell you, June was an EXTREMELY expensive month!! Savings has become almost non-existent after all that!!

The kids have gotten along very well this summer, which is wonderful. And I've introduced my book-loving 10-year-old to the "Trixie Belden" series of books that I adored as a child. She is devouring them just like I did. Thank God for libraries!!!

This is going to be a tough month for me. Not only do my kiddos have to go back to school, but I also have to face the big 4-0. I'm really not excited about that!!! I do have an exciting weekend planned right after my birthday, which should be a lot of fun, but 40 just seems so.....old!! I'm sure it won't be any different than 39, but I still hate the idea. And guess what I get to do on the night of my actual birthday?? It's Parent Orientation Night at the girls' school. Oh, whoopee! I'm so terribly excited about that! I wonder if I'd miss anything if I "accidentally" forgot about it....hmmmmmm.

Other than that, nothing very exciting is happening around here! Hopefully once we get back into a routine around here, I will find myself with more topics for my blog. I definitely need to try and write more! :-)

Enjoy the rest of the summer!!!!!

The Splend-id Results

2010-06-01T10:55:00.002-05:00

I managed to go five full days without any artificial sweeteners at all. And let me tell you, I was careful! I even gave up my favorite Eclipse gum!! I started to have a piece, but then checked the label and immediately threw the piece away. Aspartame is a very common ingredient! I'm thinking that five days is a good amount of time to be able to post a review of my findings.

I do have to say that I did not learn that I was having major issues from ingesting the Splenda and Aspartame. However, I did find that there WERE interesting side effects. During my time of non-sweeteners, there were two things that I definitely noticed which made a lasting impression.

First, I have not been experiencing my usual mid-afternoon crash time. Generally, around 3:00, I am just so sleepy that I have to lie down for just a short time to recharge. I just figured that was my norm and never even considered it could be related to anything in my diet. Now I believe that it is related to the sweeteners, since I frequently have coffee with Splenda in the morning and a diet soda with lunch. Interesting, eh??

And the second, and most noteworthy effect of eliminating the sweeteners, is that I have not been as hungry! I haven't had the urge to snack in the early afternoon (which was a constant with me) or in the later evenings. That's kind of nice!! I get the "munchies" often, and that has not happened on my sweetener fast. Isn't THAT something?? I've actually lost almost a pound over the 5 days without changing my diet in any way AND with eating real sugar...gotta love that!

I guess my conclusion from my experiment is that I DO experience "side effects" from the artificial sweeteners, but nothing that seems detrimental to my health in general. I have decided that I am going to limit the sweeteners, but not go out of my way to avoid them. For instance, I love my 8th Continent Soy Milk. It has less than 2% sucralose in it. I am going to allow myself up to a cup of that every couple of days, which shouldn't have an impact. On the flip side, I am going to stop drinking sweeteners in my coffee. I have learned that 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar is perfect for me, and since it's only 24 calories, why not?? It's definitely going to save me calories in the long run from what I've learned here!

I will miss things like my Fiber One yogurt, but I am going to stop eating products that are heavily-laden with artificial sweeteners. I am sure I will find other things to fill the void that are better for me overall. The jury is still out on my Eclipse Gum. I will probably give it up, but I sure do love the stuff....

I would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the sweetener issue. Have you tried going without it and found similar results? I am glad that I tried this. It was definitely educational and I'm making permanent changes as a result. Change is good. :-)

The Splenda Experiment

2010-05-28T11:46:00.002-05:00

Wow...has it really been that long since I've posted anything? I hadn't realized it had been quite so long, though I definitely knew I have been neglecting my blogs!

I have embarked on an interesting experiment, and I thought it might actually be something worth detailing on my blog. A couple of nights ago, I was hanging out with a dear friend of mine while he was repairing my badly-virus-infected computer. He didn't have any bottled water, but did have some bottles of G2. As he opened one, he remarked that he was not happy because he had forgotten to check the label, and there was Splenda in the drink.

I asked why that mattered, and a discussion ensued about the problems that have been linked to Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. Of course, I knew about the "has been known to cause cancer in laboratory rats" that is found on many sweeteners, but I had never really given it that much thought. Mark, however, is one to research issues, and he always does a very thorough job of learning both good and bad points.

After he explained the known side effects, and told me his own personal experiences, I became curious. I have Splenda in my coffee every morning, drink only diet soda, and enjoy many products that contain Aspertame. I have never noticed any ill effects of this eating style, but got to wondering if I really WAS having any effects. Mark told me that it doesn't effect everyone, but that some people just didn't realize they were having side effects, and that if you stopped ingesting the products, there was usually a difference within a matter of a few days.

So yesterday morning, I was making my coffee and I paused. I really do wonder if I am having any "side effects" from my regular consumption of sugar substitutes. I decided to take a few days and completely eliminate it from my diet. It's just an experiment for my own knowledge and curiousity, but I'm really intrigued to see what happens.

All day yesterday, I checked labels and carefully made choices. It wasn't too difficult, but I was sad to learn that Fiber One Yogurt is sweetened with Aspartame. That's off limits for at least a few days, but I will survive. At least my beloved VitaTops are naturally sweetened, as are most of the snack bars in my cabinets. It isn't taking much time at all to read food labels, as I do it frequently anyway.

I'm not ready to draw any definite conclusions yet, but just yesterday I did notice a few things. I didn't have my usual mid-afternoon crash where I have to lie down for 10-20 minutes in order to function. This is rare for me. Also, I didn't snack as much as I normally do. That one really interested me, as I am generally very "munchy" in afternoon. After lunch, I wasn't even hungry at all until around 3, when I had a light snack. Then I was fine again until dinner. Weird, but in a good way!

So now I'm on day 2, and so far, so good. I will post again with results of my little experiment. It's actually fun, and I'm glad I'm giving it a try.

The Perils of Email

2010-04-30T15:05:00.003-05:00

That might sound a little strange; after all, everyone loves email, and it's a fantastic communication tool, right? The problem with email, though, is its extreme (and sometimes borderline fatal) impersonal nature.

In the past few days, I've had some major issues with email. It's gotten to the point that I've all but decided to give up on emailing someone I know. A few days ago, it was early in the morning and I sent a quick note to a friend to give her a hard time about something. I meant for it to be joking, but I wasn't effective at conveying the teasing at 6:15 a.m. As a result, she thought I was really upset about something and this made her very upset. It took a phone call and a lengthy discussion to straighten it all out.

I got through that almost unscathed, but then another issue with email came up. I was bothered by something, so I sent an email to my friend just to vent about the situation. Somehow a minor point that I made in that email became the focus of the email in her eyes and instead of her reading the email as something that was concerned me, she took it as me being concerned about something SHE was doing and became very defensive and upset with me. What a mess!!! I had a difficult time straightening that out, and it was emotionally exhausting!

When you're reading words on a computer screen, you really can't begin to know what the person who typed them was feeling at the time. You don't know the "tone" that you would hear in a voice, and you can't see any body language that might be helpful in understanding. As a result, feelings get hurt and messages get conveyed that were never meant at all! It used to be that a few "lol"s would clear up that things were supposed to be funny, but that beloved "lol" is so overused in email and chat nowadays that it means virtually nothing at all anymore. Honestly, the last time you typed "lol," were you TRULY laughing out loud?? I didn't think so!

So what is a person to do in order to avoid these pitfalls that come naturally with the onslaught of emails that we send and receive on a daily basis? I don't really have the answer...I'm really still a bit saddened over the problems I've had lately. I think the first idea is to pick up the phone when it's something serious. Some topics really shouldn't be fodder for email discussion. Never forget that email is not only impersonal, but far from private. One keystroke can send your words, which might have been meant for one person's eyes only, to a whole host of others. Can you afford to take that chance?

I bet you can think of a time that you were hurt or offended by something in an email. If you didn't clarify the sender's intent, maybe you inadvertently misinterpreted what he or she was trying to say. The best thing to do is ask, so you can know for sure that you are understanding things correctly. Yes, emails can be carefully worded and read by the sender to ensure they said what they meant to say, but somewhere between the sender's mind and the reader's eyes, things can get completely out of whack.

I know this post really has nothing to do with anything about which I've blogged in the past, but the topic has been on my mind since these problems occurred, and I thought sharing the frustration might be at least a little therapeutic for me. If nothing else, maybe you'll think twice before sending an email next time you're upset or need to talk something out. There is no underestimating the power of a more personal touch.

Just Another Pleasant Valley Sunday....

2010-04-25T18:44:00.003-05:00

Here in status symbol land... In case you don't know, those are lyrics from an old Monkees song. Yes, I used to love the Monkees! In fact, when I was in the hospital after having my now-nine-year-old daughter, the very first morning of her life, I laid in my hospital bed holding her and sang "Daydream Believer" to her. I used to watch the show as often as I could and had the classic crush on Davy Jones. Such a sad peek into my past. :-)

I actually had a dream the other night about blogging. I guess that was a sign that I should put up a post for a change. I've just been so insanely busy that I haven't even had time to think about blogging. Tomorrow is a big day, and once it's over, I head straight into planning another event. The house concert with Bill and Kate Isles is tomorrow and I am so not even close to being ready for it. I still have so much more cooking, baking, cleaning, and setting up to get done! It's a LOT to accomplish. I've never taken on such an event in my house, and right now it looks like we will have 30-40 guests - yikes!!!

Once I survive this event (assuming that I will...lol), then it's head-first into planning a Kickball Tournament at the girls' school. This is the first of its kind and DH and I are in charge of the whole thing, which is frightening in itself. The good thing is that the kids and staff seem to be really excited about it; this is wonderful! We opened up the competition to 8 teams, and already have 4 signed up and have paid their registration fee - yay! It should be a fun event for the kids. We're getting a trophy to display at school with the winning team on it, and I think I'm making chocolate trophies for all the kids on the team. How exciting to get to eat your trophy! :-) They will also get ribbons to commemorate the win.

I guess I should really get back to my "catering" for tomorrow. I'm making all sorts of snacks and desserts for the concert guests, and there are many things left to do. I'll have time to take a breath about 10:00 tomorrow night. Wish me luck until then!!

Beginnings

2010-04-14T17:22:00.005-05:00

How often do you find a post about gardening that is linked to Rick Springfield? Never? Yeah, I thought so. :-) But I just can't resist mentioning the great Rickster, as his very first album was titled, "Beginnings." I used to own said album, but somewhere over the years and the many moves, it's been lost or destroyed. So sad! It even had an error on the LP for the title of one of the songs. Instead of "Mother Can You Carry Me?" my album said, "Mother Can You Marry Me?" That always cracked me up! But, I digress....this is, after all, a gardening post, right?

The photo above is of my garden. It's significantly smaller than what I attempted to "farm" last year, but I think it will be more than adequate! It's still about 500 square feet. When I got up this morning, it was a grass-infested mess and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed about getting it ready to grow (hehe).

This morning, however, I got out my handy-dandy cultivator. We bought it last year, but it had never been out of the box. After studying the instructions, I thought I could handle it, so off to the garden we went. It took me a little while to get the hang of it, but then it became great fun to turn those irritating grass patches into mulched soil! I spent almost 2 hours out there between tilling and moving mulch around. DH had made mulch out of all of our fall leaves and piled it in there - it made quite a heavy layer of nice mulch that I turned into the ground.

As a result of my labors (and my sore back and arms that I know I will feel even more tomorrow!), the above photo is what I have now. It actually looks pretty good! And I think I have just enough mulch. The newspapers we laid down last year to prevent grass and weeds are a bit annoying, as I thought they would have decomposed more by now, but I'll deal with them. I almost feel like I have the beginnings of a modified lasagna garden. Whatever you want to call it, it's going to work for me!

I'm hoping tomorrow to do some planting. My inside seedlings have taken off like wild and are already outgrowing their tiny pots after not quite 2 weeks. Crazy! I also need to buy tomato plants, as I've never had luck bringing those up from seed. What is nice is that I learned today that a mall gift card we received for Christmas (to a mall we never visit!) is actually good at anyplace that takes American Express. Woohoo!! I'm going to use it tomorrow for garden stuff! That will at least help a little.

I will keep everyone posted as to the progress of my garden this year. I'm hoping for a more successful season than last year, and I'm also going to be using a lot of the seeds I received from Hometown Seeds. So far, so good...I will keep you up-to-date. Happy gardening, all!!!!

Rural Route 4

2010-04-11T11:27:00.003-05:00

No, I haven't taken any gravel road trips recently, though I'm definitely not opposed to the idea! :-) Last night I went to a show at a local bar here in Shawnee, Kansas, for a live performance by the band Rural Route 4. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I was warned that I might have to hear some Marty Robbins (and if you know me, you know I HATE Marty Robbins...just ask my friend, Mark! lol), but I was completely impressed with the entire show!

Rural Route 4 is a group of four guys with typical daytime lives who spend a few evenings a month making music as a great cover band. The band consists of:

Scott Heidner, lead and harmony vocals and rhythm guitar
Troy Heidner, lead and harmony vocals and drums
Terry Heidner, lead and harmony vocals and bass guitar (and the dad of Scott and Troy!)
Bill Thompson, lead and harmony vocals, lead guitar, steel giutar, banjo, and the "brass section" of the band - ya gotta be there! :-)

These guys do a wide variety of tunes that would please any music fan, from Merle Haggard to the Eagles to AC/DC, and not missing anyone in between. The harmonies are perfectly on key and the sound is incredibly smooth. They did not play one song I didn't enjoy, even though there were several that were unfamiliar to me. Heck, I truly believe that if they would have played a Marty Robbins song, I would have enjoyed it and never even known it was Marty!!!

One thing about them that definitely impressed me was Troy's ability to rock out on the drums while never missing a beat on the lead vocals he did. His harmonies were great, too. That takes some serious talent! They are also all very friendly and appreciative of those who come out to see them play. On breaks (their show was over 3 hours, so they definitely earned them), they mingled with the fans and I got the chance to chat briefly with Scott. They also took (and welcomed!) requests all evening and interacted with the fans from the stage area. It was a really fun night!

If you're local to Kansas City, Topeka, or Lawrence, I definitely think you should check them out. The music is great, the variety absolutely rocks, and the guys look pretty good, too! ;-) They do have a page on myspace that I found, too. You can click on the link or go to http://www.myspace.com/ruralroute4. I thoroughly enjoyed the show last night, and I hope to see them again sometime. For my Kansas City readers, they will be back at Jake's Place on Johnson Drive on May 22nd. The complete tour is on their myspace page. Hope you get to hear them!!!

A Request of my Readers

2010-04-09T14:18:00.002-05:00

Those of you who know me, know that I am very involved in my kids' schools. I volunteer as much as I can and I'm on the Board of both PTAs, etc., etc. I love volunteering and the schools need all the help they can get!

One of the projects I tried recently was applying for a grant through the Pepsi Refresh project. Pepsi chose not to advertise during the Super Bowl this year, instead deciding to take that money and use it to fund projects to make the world a better place. They are currently accepting applications for grants, and approving 1000 a month to be submitted to a public vote. The top ten ideas will receive the grant money they requested.

I applied for a grant for Chinn Elementary School to finish our Walking Trail. It's a wonderful concept that the students can utilize to get exercise. The problem is, since the trail was laid, the school has grown such that portable building have been erected. As a result, now parts of the trail cannot be seen from the center, and therefore teachers are not able to fully utilize the trail. They put student safety first, and must be able to see all children at all times.

Chinn would like to lay a new section of the trail that WILL make it fully visible, and able to be used by the students. But this costs a lot of money that we don't have. I have asked Pepsi for $5,000, which will fully finance the re-laying of the trail and finish our school's project. My idea was approved for the April vote!!!

Could you please take a moment and help me out by voting? You can simply click on this link: http://www.refresheverything.com/chinn and vote for the idea. All they ask for is your name, email address, and birthday. They won't sell or spam you - it's just to allow for the one vote per day per email address.

You can vote EVERY DAY. Right now we are #165 out of 1000, but we have until the end of April to make that magic top 10. It's a great start, but I can use all the help I can get! Thank you soooooooooo much!!!!

Ahhh....Spring!!!

2010-03-31T12:45:00.002-05:00

I don't know about where you are, but the weather in Kansas City is absolutely GORGEOUS! It's almost too warm, since it's expected to be 80°-82° for the next couple of days. I wouldn't mind it staying in the 70s for awhile, but I'll definitely take this over the snow of a couple weeks ago!

Yesterday I started the task of prepping the garden for spring planting. I was overly ambitious last year and had way too large of an area tilled, and couldn't keep up with the grass re-growing in the entire garden area! So this year, I am cutting back. In the fall, we laid down some newspaper (on part, as we ran out) and mulch over about half of my garden space. Now, I'm moving the fencing to enclose only this part. I'm basically going from 1000 square feet (INSANE!) to about 520. I think this will be much more manageable!

There is still a lot of grass to be pulled, and I have about 15 feet of fencing that needs to be re-buried by trenching the ground and covering the bottom section, but I've started the process, which is a good thing. I think the girls and I will be planting all the seeds tonight so we can have some plants to put in there sometime in May. I'm still not completely decided on what I'm going to grow this year. I will most definitely buy some tomato plants, as I have no luck trying to grow those from seed. I plan to have as many green beans as I can get growing, and some spinach and a couple varieties of lettuce. I also bought some broccoli seeds and will have to grow cucumbers. My family (especially DH) LOVES pickles, so even though I hate them, I will have to make them. lol I do like to eat raw cucumbers, so I get the pre-pickled variety. In fact, I am looking very forward to lots of my favorite sandwich this summer - hummus, spinach, tomato, and cucumber...yum!!!

I am contemplating trying some asparagus. I'm really not sure if I could get it to grow, but I absolutely love it, so it might be worth trying in just a small section of the garden. I think I'm going to skip the squash this year since I'm the only one who eats it and I still have bags of shredded zucchini from last year. I will sit down sometime this week and diagram out what I plan to plant where so I at least have a good idea of how to do things.

I'm very excited about planting some of my seeds from Hometown Seeds. I will try and keep a running account of how well they do on my blog. I love the Survival Seeds pack they sent me and I will be using a lot of their seeds! I'm very happy that gardening season is coming. I hope you find a little happiness in the soil, too! :-)

Kroger Gift Card Winner!

2010-03-25T12:40:00.003-05:00

I wish I had a clue how to paste the Random.org number generator to my blog, but I cannot figure it out! I had 34 entries in the giveaway (wish it had been more...maybe next time!), and when I entered 1 to 34 into random.org, it gave me a winning number of 29, which is mandala!

Congratulations, mandala! I will be sending you an email shortly to get your mailing information. Thanks SO much to everyone who entered! Hopefully we'll have some more fun giveaways very soon!

A Snowy Spring

2010-03-20T15:43:00.003-05:00

It's funny how the weather never does what it's supposed to do. Today is the first official day of spring, and I'd guess we have about 6 inches of snow out there on the ground and it's still coming down. It is very pretty, and I have noplace to go, so I'm okay with it. I've actually been enjoying a typical "snow day." I baked a scratch angel food cake this morning and made the kids some homemade granola bars for their snack. My 9-year-old has a friend over for the day who is also spending the night, so they had their snack in her room, along with chai tea with a fancy tea set. Very cute!

The angel food cake is a bit of an experiment. I am having a "house concert" next month (a first for me) and will hopefully have a house full of guests. I'm going to put out what I hope will be a very nice spread of appetizers and treats. One thing I want to try, that I've never done before, is chocolate fondue. Angel food cake cubes are something I've listed as a good option for dipping in the fondue, so that's what I'm trying tonight. I had 10 eggs that had just expired, so it seemed like the perfect time to whip up angel food and give this a whirl. I'm planning on trying several things prior to the concert/party to make sure I know what I'm doing!

It seems like so much has happened since I last blogged, and I guess it has been a long time! Two weeks ago I had what I consider the best weekend of my life, and I just haven't come back to earth since then. My favorite singer, Suzy Bogguss, was in town for a show over in Overland Park and it was a wonderful time. I got to talk to her for awhile (she's a friend these days, which is truly a gift!) and catch up with a friend from Des Moines who came in for the show. I got home very late that evening, and then headed out the next day for Hutchinson, Kansas, for another show. I went with my friend, Mark, and we had an amazing time!

Traveling with Mark is always an adventure. He prefers the road less traveled, and avoids the interstate most of the time. I've blogged before about our trek to Colorado a couple of years ago. Well, for this trip, he took me along part of the route that we took that fateful night. He even drove by the hotels where we almost stopped, for fear of bad weather, but didn't due to price or occupancy. And we even stopped in the same convenience store that was our oasis that night. It was amazing to see it all from a non-snowy perspective and realize exactly where we had been when all we had been able to see was solid white blizzard.

We made it to the show in Hutchinson just in time, but getting there had been almost as much fun as the show. During the concert, I tried the venue's House Sangria and liked it very much. Okay, I liked it TOO much. If you know me, you know that I very rarely drink, and so the Sangria hit me harder than I anticipated. I had a reallllllly fun night, but parts of it are a little fuzzy. ;-) Suzy got a kick out of it, though. She told me that I was cracking her up, and did the coolest thing as we were leaving. She teased that she was afraid that I wouldn't make it back down the stairs to get outside (the venue was on the 2nd floor of a building), so she insisted on walking Mark and I out! We ended up standing just inside the doors, just chatting, for quite awhile. Suzy is such a sweetheart!!

The next day we met up with one of Mark's friends for brunch and then a matinee of "Alice in Wonderland." It wasn't as horrible as I expected. :-) After the movie, we had to head back to Kansas City, and we actually took a little interstate due to time restrictions. We got to town and then headed for a local pizza place for karaoke. No, I didn't sing, but Mark is a wonderful singer! He did several great performances and even sang along with my friend Claudia's grandmother, which was adorable!

So can you see why I've been on Cloud 9 since? It's been hard to get back to reality, and now I have this house concert to plan, which is its own kind of fun. The performer we're having is Bill Isles and his wife, Kate. You can check out their website. They are really fun people and Bill writes wonderful original songs. I'm looking very forward to the show. I just hope I can get my house clean and ready in time and that all the food comes out! If you're in the KC area and want to come to the show, please let me know . It should be a great time.

Anyway....I guess that's the update from me for now. Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't yet! I don't have many entries for a $25 gift card from the Kroger Family of Stores. You have a great chance at winning!!!

Kroger Cart Buster Savings Event - and Giveaway!

2010-03-10T19:13:00.002-06:00

Kroger Stores are a staple for many. They run great sales and when you combine the deals with double coupons, it's amazing how much money can be saved. I wish I had a Kroger just around the corner!

From now through March 14th, shop the Cart Buster Savings Event and find the hottest prices around on your favorite name-brand products in over 60 categories at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

Here are just a few of the great brands participating in the event: Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Yoplait, Progresso, Totino´s, Green Giant, Cascadian Farm, Tide, Charmin, Bounty, Pampers, Pantene, Crest, Iams, Febreze, Old Spice and many more! These are brands everyone can use, and there are lots of coupons out there, so get to Kroger before time runs out on this sale!

The Giveaway!!

Kroger and MyBlogSpark are offering one winner a $25 gift card to Kroger! Shop this sale NOW, and then win $25 to spend on future sales. What a deal!

How to Enter:

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me how far it is to your nearest Kroger branded store and/or what you think you would most want to buy with the card if you won.

For another entry, become a follower of At Home with My Monkeys. If you're already a follower, let me know. Leave a separate entry for this entry.

For your third entry, post this contest on another contest list or in your own blog. Then leave a third comment with the link to where it's posted. I'd love to get lots of entries on this one! Help me out, will ya?? :-)

This giveaway will end at midnight on Wednesday, March 24th. Please be sure your contact information is in your comments or easily visible on your profile so I can contact you if you are the winner. Thanks for entering and GOOD LUCK!!

DISCLAIMER: I am receiving a $25 Kroger gift card for sharing this information. The Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information, and giveaway were all provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Like your Keurig? You'll Love your K-Caps!

2010-02-24T10:11:00.005-06:00

Reuse your Keurig K-Cups!

Are you wondering what that little disk-like item is? I think it looks like one of the coolest inventions ever!!! It's called a K-Cap. Is that enough explanation? I didn't think so...lol

A K-Cap is a handy-dandy little gizmo that allows you to re-use the K-Cups in a Keurig brewer! I am so very excited to try these! I adore my Keurig, but I don't adore having to purchase a new box of K-Cups every couple of weeks at a cost of about .50 a K-Cup! The coffee is good, and of course, it's a lot less expensive than going to the 'Bucks, but I can buy a bag of Dunkin' Dark and brew it for a lot less than .50 a cup!

And then along came the K-Cap. This wonderful invention actually allows you to remove the foil cap of a K-Cup, carefully rinse it out, refill it, and then cap it and brew fresh coffee. Amazing!! I have always hated watching the waste as I drop those K-Cups into the trash can after a single cup of coffee is brewed, and I am completely enthralled with the idea of re-using them in such a simple way!

If you are a Keurig user like me, this is definitely a concept to investigate. You can purchase the K-Caps in several different quantities by visiting their website. The website itself is great, too. You can read the specifics on the K-Cap, view a video that explains them even better, or even learn how your blog can earn you free K-Caps to try.

I can't wait to give these a whirl. When I receive them, I will post about them and tell you how much I love them, because I know I will. :-) In the meantime, please visit K-Caps. If you love your Keurig, I bet you are going to be as excited about them as I am!!

Thinking About Spring

2010-02-19T09:32:00.003-06:00

I can look out my front door and see snow on the lawn across the street. The local forecasters are talking about anywhere from 2 to 8 inches of snow that is on its way to us and will arrive this weekend. I'm so tired of winter already!! So in order to escape (albeit temporarily) my thoughts have turned to my future garden.

I have a patch in my backyard that was plowed for a garden. It was a bit of a disaster last year because I had major surgery in February and wasn't able to commit the time to it that it really needed, since it was the first year it had been tilled. So grass took over and some of the plants didn't make it and it was basically rather sad. This year, however, I've already begun to prepare. I've covered the area well and added mulch so the grass is at a minimum. I have a diagram and definite plans of what plants are going where. And I will definitely spend more time out there this summer, probably even recruiting my children to learn to "work the land."

I'm excited about gardening this year! I hope to be able to freeze and can a lot of vegetables that we can use over the colder months. This will help us in so many ways. My kids are not fond of commercially canned products, but anything I've canned myself is devoured. It's a good thing I enjoy canning! :-)

Interestingly enough, while I've been contemplating my garden, I received an email from a company called Hometown Seeds. They have a very interesting product called Survival Seeds. This are NON-GMO seeds that give you a variety of easy to grow vegetables. The packet includes the following seed packets:

Lincoln Peas
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Kentucky Wonder Brown Pole Bean
Yolo Wonder Pepper
Champion Radish
Lucullus Swiss Chard
Black Beauty Zucchini
Waltham Butternut Winter Squash
Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach
Scarlet Nantes Carrots
Long Green Improved Cucumber
Rutgers Tomato
Golden Acre Cabbage
Romaine Paris Island Cos Lettuce
Golden Bantem Sweet Corn
Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion

It looks like a great assortment for any garden, and it is a HUGE assortment! I'm thinking this might be great to purchase with a friend and share the seeds. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't have 3/4 of an acre to garden! :-)

Check out the website and see if the Survival Seeds suit your needs for this year's planting. Let me know if you get them!

DISCLAIMER: Hometown Seeds offered to send me a free packet of survival seeds for posting about their website. I have not tried their products yet, but this looks like a great assortment of seeds. The opinions expressed are my own, as is the time and work I will put into my garden this year!! :-)

Counting Blessings

2010-02-13T22:20:00.002-06:00

Today has been one of those days that cause me to take pause and ponder all the blessings in my life. Shortly after awakening this morning, I learned some news about the daughter of a dear friend. On Monday morning, the 10-year-old will be undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor on her brain that is nearly as large as a softball. How terrifying is that? I can't imagine enduring my baby going through that. My heart and prayers go out to this family, and I thank God for my healthy children.

Then this afternoon I came home to find cars all over the place along my street and wondered what in the world was happening. A bit of online searching revealed that my neighbor across the street passed away a few days ago. Family and friends called on his wife throughout the day and I looked out the window a bit ago to see her lights turned off. My heart aches for her as I think about her going to bed alone, terribly missing her husband of 56 years. Yes, he had a full life, but she is still left behind with tears and memories. I visited her briefly today and she cried as she spoke of their life together. I am so sad for her, and I thank God that my family is intact. Yes, my husband can be extremely frustrating and difficult, but he really is a blessing in my life and I wouldn't trade him for anything, even though it's a good thing nobody asked me to trade him when he was being such a butthead yesterday!! ;-)

We never know when our lives will suddenly change, for the better or the worse. And tomorrow is not a promise, but a gift. I'm going to make a conscious effort to not forget this. Yes, I know I will have days when I toss gratitude out the window, but I hope it won't take me long to remember days like today. And I hope everyone reading this has more blessings than he or she is able to count.

I Haven't Been to the UK Lately - or Ever!!

2010-02-11T21:34:00.002-06:00

Just like a large percentage of the population, I am anticipating a tax refund. The Federal Government told me that they expected it to appear in my account on the 12th, which is tomorrow. So today I checked my bank account online to see if it was showing yet as pending. It wasn't. But when checking the account, I happened to look down at the balance on my bank-issued credit card and was surprised at the balance.

See, that particular card is my "paranoid card." I use it only for online purchases, because of the fear that someone might manage to steal my account number when I shop online. I still shop, but I reserve one credit card for the purpose of paying so that I don't have multiple account numbers out there in cyberspace. Lately I've been thinking that I'm a little silly to do this, since I've never had a problem with online shopping or stolen credit card numbers.

That all changed today. When I pulled up the account, I saw two charges: one was some sort of UK charge and the second was a processing charge that was applied because I used my credit card over in another country. I racked my brain trying to figure out what I might have charged that was overseas and how in the world it had come up that I had actually BEEN overseas when I made the purchase. I called the bank and got a representative.

Ready for the funny part? She informed me that this particular company was an ESCORT SERVICE in the UK!!!!! I assured her that I had NOT made this charge and she transferred me to the fraud department. After quite a hold, I got another representative who was a bit more surly. She asked me if I was absolutely sure I had not made this charge. When I said I was, she then told me that the company also had a dating service division and asked, "And your husband? Could HE have made the charge?" Wow. He happened to be standing right here, so I informed her he absolutely did not. Not only would he NOT have used a dating/escort service, but he SURE has not traveled to the UK anytime recently, or anytime in his LIFE, for that matter! Insane!

Sadly, this is the third time that Identity Theft has reared its ugly head in my life. Many years back, a coworker of my husband copied all of his personal information from the work computer system onto an application for a cell phone and obtained a phone in his name at her address. She charged up thousands of dollars in calls and stuck us with the bill, conveniently disappearing when it went to collections. We ended up having to settle, though if we had had the money, we could have easily fought it in court (she had taken a cell phone contract out of the provider's office which the contract outlined was forbidden), but we just couldn't do it. Then just a few years ago, I signed up for a Capital One credit card and before it even arrived in the mail, someone charged a new computer on it! That was quickly fixed, but I admit that I have never felt safe using that credit card after the experience!

If you've never experienced an incident of identity theft, consider yourself very lucky! But be careful anyway. Always check your accounts regularly and report any suspicious charges right away. It will probably be easy to fix, but it's still an unsettling experience. And never take anything for granted...just because it's never happened to you, it still might.

Consider this your Public Service Announcement of the day. :-)

My New Favorite Cereal

2010-02-09T16:12:00.002-06:00

Ever since I heard that there was a Chocolate Cheerios out there now, I have been curious to try it. I've almost bought it a couple of times, but being who I am, I had to tell myself to wait until it was on sale. Besides, I rationalized, it's Cheerios...how good can it really be?

Yesterday I received a wonderful surprise. The mail carrier left me a small box by my downstairs door. It was clearly marked "Pssst!" which is a General Mills program where people can join and get information (and sometimes samples) of new and improved General Mills products. I am a huge General Mills fan (how can I not be, being the Box Tops for Education coordinator at the girls' school???) and so I joined Pssst! as soon as I learned about it.

I opened the box, not sure what I might find, and was very excited to find a full size box of the Chocolate Cheerios. I'm actually not sure who was more anxious to try them - me or my daughters! We were all eager to sample them, and I opened the box yesterday shortly after receiving it. The first thing I noticed was that these Cheerios are coated with a light crisp chocolate glaze. It isn't powdery, and definitely isn't overly sweet. My 9 year old said that it had the same kind of chocolate flavor as Cocoa Puffs.

Personally, I thought that the flavor and texture were excellent. That coating is absolutely perfect, affording a very pleasant chocolate flavor but not like most sweetened children's cereals. Then I tried a bowl of them with milk, and I am officially hooked! They did not soften in milk, retaining the light crunch, and they tasted fantastic! And the milk afterwards.....wow!! It was so very, very good! Chocolate Cheerios is a fun adult cereal. You get the fun and flavor of a kids' cereal without all the sugar and sappy sweetness.

The only problem I have with the Chocolate Cheerios is that my kids like them as much as I do, so I can't keep them for myself. Usually when I buy a more healthy adult cereal, I keep it on the cabinet shelf and eat it at my leisure - the kids leave it alone. Not the case this time! They are definitely enamored with this new Cheerios product, so if I want to keep it for myself, I'm going to have to buy it when they are in school and hide it somewhere safe! :-)

I definitely would suggest that you give Chocolate Cheerios a try. It's already on my grocery list for my next trip. I've always liked Cheerios, but they were never on my list of favorite cereals...until now!

Just for fun, here is a website that features some fun recipes you can make with the Chocolate Cheerios. I probably won't get that far, as they are just too good as a cereal that they won't last long enough for recipes!

NOTE: I was not asked to post this or compensated in any way. I received the box for free as part of my participation in Psst! and enjoyed the cereal so much that I wanted to share my thoughts with my blog readers.

Where Went the Waffles?

2010-02-06T20:05:00.003-06:00

Did the bunny take them?? lol

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably read my tale of the Great Pumpkin Shortage of 2009. I found it comical that people were panicking about a lack of canned pumpkin when the grocery stores were practically bursting with bins of fresh, wonderful pumpkin. Seriously - it isn't hard to roast a pumpkin yourself! But, I digress.

The latest saga is the Waffle Shortage of 2010. What I've gathered is that there was some flooding at a couple of Kellogg's plants that manufacture Eggo waffles, and it will be quite some time before these plants are up to speed again. And this is a crisis?? Wow. I didn't realize that life couldn't continue without frozen waffle products! Did you??

Waffles are a tasty product comprised of very basic ingredients that I bet you have on hand right now! You'll need things like flour, eggs, a little sugar, salt, milk, and baking powder. You can even use Bisquick to make it easier to mix the batter! Of course, you will also need a waffle iron, but those are pretty easy to find, both at your local discount retailer (read: Target) or for very little money at a secondhand store. If you want the more Eggo-type waffles, you will want to get a regular waffle iron, and not a Belgian variety.

If you can cook pancakes (and anyone can do THAT!), you can certainly create yummy waffles. And if using the iron is a hassle, you can make a full batch one afternoon, wrap them with waxed paper between, and pop them in the freezer to enjoy in the future. You can even toast them....you don't need Eggos!!

Of course, if making a batch of waffles is a bit too much of a hassle, or you can't locate a waffle iron (read: you don't want to go shopping), visit your local First Watch (or other breakfast place, but none can compare) and order up a crisp, hot, golden waffle. I promise you there is no shortage of waffles at First Watch! Of course, once you taste your first First Watch waffle, you'll never be able to go back to Eggo.

Want a waffle yet???

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible Review

2010-02-03T13:28:00.004-06:00

I recently received a beautiful children's Bible to review from Thomas Nelson Publishers, through BookSneeze. As you can tell from the picture above, this is a gorgeous book that would appeal to any young girl. As a matter of fact, my 7-year-old saw it the day it arrived and immediately wanted to have it. I told her that Mommy needed to look at it first for a review, and she bothered me at least twice a day to ask when she could have it! :)

After two days of this (I was running around like mad that week with no time to sit down and read), I told her to go ahead and look at it, and just bring it back to me. She took it into her room and came out a few times to share stories with me and show me various pictures and things she was learning. It was adorable! This Bible is written perfectly for her, in wording that is on her level and with stories that give her things to ponder and wonderful learning experiences.

The book is colorful and every page is appealing. The artwork is refreshing and the graphics are very girly and cute. It asks questions that a younger child can answer (such as, "Do you know how to put up your toys when you're finished playing?" and "Did you know that you are a princess-in-training?") and teaches the reader how to apply Biblical principals to her everyday life. There are even some role playing activities to encourage family togetherness.

While this Bible is not designed to teach children actual Scriptures, it is a beautifully written book that will help them to learn how the Bible applies to their young lives and to help them learn to make good decisions in their lives, at their ages. It would be a perfect gift for a young girl.

Here is the publisher's description:

Girls long to be loved and adored, and give their heart to their hero. God is that hero! The characteristics focused on in this Bible storybook will help your little girl blossom into the princess she was created to be. Virtues to create beauty such as compassion, sharing, and truth are highlighted in fun and engaging ways. The perfect format for girls to learn about their destiny as a daughter of their King. Features included are: Beauty Secrets, Bible Princesses, My Hero (Scripture promises), Take a Bow (Easy plays that are Bible-focused), I Adore You (Put girls energy to use with songs, scripture and worship), Royal Truths, Down In My Heart (Scripture Memory), Princess Charming, Worthy of Love (Ideas to show how to love her royal subjects: family, siblings, friends and those in the community).

Sheila Walsh has done an excellent job of bringing the Bible to a younger set, those girls that are just beginning to make their own decisions and understand how their actions can affect others. I am thrilled to have this book for my daughter and she truly enjoys it. The lessons she is learning now will last her a lifetime. This is a lovely step for young girls to teach them about God and his Word.

Disclaimer: As expressed early in the review, I received a complimentary copy of "God's Little Princess Devotional Bible" by Sheila Walsh in exchange for doing this review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

Nutritionists Say Fiber is Important....

2010-02-02T21:36:00.002-06:00

But be sure you read your labels carefully!!! :-) I made a bit of an error today in my eating habits. I was doing really well on the fiber front: breakfast was a bowl of high-fiber oatmeal, and for lunch I had a small bowl of potato soup with a hummus pita (the pita bread was also high fiber). Not bad, huh? But then for dinner, I made soft tacos. I had some "Carb Balance" tortillas in the freezer, so I pulled them out, figuring that would be good to finish up my 20 grams a day. I didn't bother to look at the label.

After dinner, which consisted of two of these tortillas, I was putting things away and happened to flip over the tortilla bag and noted that EACH tortilla contained ELEVEN grams of dietary fiber. Shocked, I started calculating and reviewing labels. I ended up having nearly 40 grams of fiber today! That is double what is recommended.

I suppose eating double the fiber grams is better than eating double the fat grams, but I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about tomorrow! LOL!

Extended Warranties and Lowe's/Samsung

2010-01-17T22:15:00.006-06:00

I used to be a member of the group that did not believe in purchasing extended warranties on new items. It seemed silly to spend money on the chance that a brand new item would have problems early in its life. But problems with a newer appliance that cost several hundred dollars to STILL not fix made me rethink that process.

Last year we acquired a new washer, dryer, and dishwasher (at different times). I bought them at Lowe's, and the salesman assured us that the Samsung brand was one of the top-of-the-line, and I should have no problems with it at all. However, he went on to advise us that Lowe's also offered the industry's best extended protection. Five years of security for just pennies a month and we would be guaranteed to have no problems at all. Since we were investing a lot in these appliances, it really did make sense, and the money I had set aside allowed enough for the warranties. So we trusted Lowe's on both counts.

Fast forward a short time. The dryer started squeaking shortly after installation. Samsung was warranting at that time, so they sent out Mr. Appliance, who replaced the pulley system. Turns out that the factory had never bothered to oil any of the internal parts. Since then, my buddy at Mr. Appliance (he knows me well by now) has been out repeatedly...he's replaced all the pulleys and the main belt AGAIN and has even installed an entire new motherboard because the timer stopped working and nothing got dry! Granted, this cost me nothing, but how ridiculous to have the service folks out 8 times in a year on a NEW dryer!!!

As for the washer, have you seen the Samsung commercials that show the kid stacking toys on the washer and they say that you never know it's running? HA!!!!!!!! We have one of those "ultra quiet" models like the commercial promotes. That thing is so unbelievably loud that it's almost intolerable! And not only does it vibrate, it vibrates THE ENTIRE HOUSE!!!! You seriously think there's an earthquake if you're upstairs, every wall in the house rattles, and even the toilet shakes! Those commercials royally tick me off!

Now we move on to the dishwasher....my nightmare. Back in early December, the upper spray arm popped off. When we put it back on, it came off again as soon as the dishwasher started running. So we called Lowe's Extended Warranty department. Sadly, it had been about a month over a year. But the salesman had told us how great Lowe's was, right? *sigh* They assigned this joke of a company called Turner Consumer Services to the job. Google them - every review is horrible. They can't do anything right, and I can attest to this. What's most frustrating is that they LIE all the time! And this company represents Lowe's? So far, I don't think Lowe's is much better.

Turner came out after I had detailed the problem over the phone. The guy was here about 2.5 minutes. He said, "yeah, it's broke." Really?? Gee, I didn't know that. He said he had to order a part and left. Several days later he called to schedule the install. He came out, popped the part on and was here maybe 4 minutes. I wouldn't let him go until I tested it, and guess what? The new part popped RIGHT back off! So he said, "I have to order another part." He left....again. So I waited. And waited. And waited. I finally called Turner Consumer Services to ask when they would be back. She said someone had to call me back. So I waited and no call. I called again and was told the part was on backorder. Then an hour later, the part was on order and en route. Huh?

So I called Lowe's to demand to know when I was going to have it fixed. They informed me that their file said my dishwasher was fixed. They put me on hold and called the idiots that be at Turner. When they came back, they said the part was in and I would be on the schedule the next day. Okay, so in one day the part goes from backordered to ordered to in hand???? Riiiiight. But at least he'd be out the next day, right?

WRONG! I got a call the next day....."Uh...I just opened the box and we got the wrong part so I can't fix it today." Okay, let's establish something. The first part was flat and about 8" long and 1.5" wide. Small, right? The new part was an entire internal arm setup, about 6 FEET long and with several components. Call me crazy, but does anyone believe that there is any chance in the world that those two parts would come in the same size box????

So I called Lowe's again. This time they sent me to the "complaint department." I supposedly got a supervisor. He said he would get them to work on it and he would call me back on Friday to make sure I had heard from someone about getting it finally fixed. It's Sunday. Do you think he called? Yeah, right. Never heard a word from him, even after I called him and left a message for him to call me right away.

Can you even believe this nightmare???? I've been dealing with a broken dishwasher for over a month now, and I have absolutely no idea if or when Lowe's or Turner Consumer Services is going to do anything at all. I've been told that due to contractual obligations, I'm stuck with Turner Consumer Services. What's funny, though, is that another rep at Lowe's checked their orders and found that they never ordered the part I needed. Never. So we've proved they lied, but we're still stuck.

I guess the lesson here is don't bother with the Extended Warranties. From what I understand, only about 5% of appliances require service in the first few years, so it's a gamble anyway. Take the money you would have spent on the warranty and set it aside in your checking account. Then if you DO need a repair, find a reputable company and get it fixed. Reputable...Lowe's apparently has no idea what that means. If you buy the warranty, you're forced to take whatever low-life, works-for-nothing-and-worth-less-than-that company they choose to send you. And you are stuck. Completely stuck. It's really not worth it!

I hope none of my readers ever have to deal with this situation. And even more than that, I hope I never have to go through this again. I just hope someone grows a brain soon and actually helps me. It saddens me that Lowe's would treat their customers this way. We have bought a LOT at Lowe's in the past. It's a good thing they have lots of competition!

Baby, it's COLD Outside!!

2010-01-05T16:40:00.002-06:00

Actually, I'm not even sure that "cold" is an appropriate description. It's crazy-frigid here in Kansas City! They're talking about wind chills of -35° by Friday morning, and highs by the end of the week (HIGHS) of 3° and 4°. BRRRR!!!!

With the temperatures that low, we aren't getting out much! I did get to Aldi yesterday with a very long list. I spent $74, which is a LOT for me at Aldi! But...we would probably be okay if I didn't get to the store for the next two weeks. I'm sure that won't happen, but it's nice to have everything we need. Today I managed to get a mystery shop done, but tomorrow and Thursday, I don't have any intention of getting out of the house. I really hope they cancel school tomorrow, because we're supposed to get even MORE snow (we already have about a foot out there) starting around noon tomorrow.

I know that there are areas that are even harder hit than Kansas City - I've been told that Minneapolis has about TWO feet of white fun and that driving involves following the "ruts" in between the hills of solid ice. Yuck! It's bad all over, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants it to all go away and warm to a reasonable temperature.

I remember once a few years ago when I was traveling with a friend to Denver to visit a friend of his and to see a couple of concerts (Suzy Bogguss, if you're interested). It was near Christmas and we had to travel all the way across Kansas. Well, as luck would have it, a terrible snowstorm hit during our trip and we got caught up in the midst of it. I-70 was shut down due to the conditions, but we weren't even ON I-70. My friend was taking an "old highway" that ran parallel to the more popular route, and of course, it had not been paved at ALL. We were in a four-wheel drive SUV (thank God for that!), but it was a full-blown blizzard and we guessed that we were driving through 12-18" of fresh snow. Mark was literally driving on knowledge of the road, as he had taken it many times to visit the Denver area and basically had every turn memorized.

It was terrifying, but there was no where to stop, and we both knew that if we stopped anywhere, we'd never get started again and we didn't have any idea when someone might come along that road. We just kept driving. Somehow we never went off the road, and eventually we reached a junction with a convenience store. It was an oasis!!! We went inside and found many other travelers who had been dealing with the same issues, and we stayed inside until we both felt calm enough to drive again. The main highway was open at this point, at least for a short distance, so we asked about hotels. It was only a few miles up I-70 to the closest one, so we set out. It was slow going, and still rather scary, but we made it to that exit. Of course, the hotel was full. They allowed Mark to call ahead to the next exit and he was able to find a hotel with some rooms. So back onto the road we went, and we made it safely to the hotel. I'm not sure a hotel room has ever felt so great. :) The next day wasn't nearly as bad, and we did get to our destination on time, but it was a harrowing experience that I hope to never repeat. I'm very fortunate that he knew the road as he did had was well-practiced at driving in heavy snow.

For the record, the concerts were absolutely wonderful and I had no regrets about making the trip. I also fell in love with both Colorado Springs and Denver. It was beautiful there, and I enjoyed the difference in elevation and how it felt. I hope to go back there "Someday Soon." (That's a Suzy song, for those who don't know.) It was definitely an experience I will remember for a very long time.

When I started this post, I wasn't even thinking about that trip, but you never know where your words will take you when you start blogging, do you? :-) I just wanted to talk about the cold and ask my readers a question: What do you do keep warm when the weather outside is frightfully frigid? We have space heaters downstairs, where the temp keeps falling to 60° and below, and I burn candles upstairs to make it feel warmer. We have throws on the couches for snuggling and I have been baking most of the afternoon. Cocoa is another favorite, as it warms everyone from the inside out. At the kids' snacktime today, I was reminded of a poem and gave them a familiar treat. Remember this?

Animal crackers and cocoa to drink.
That is the finest of suppers, I think.
When I'm grown up and can have what I please,
I think I shall always insist upon these.

The kids loved their snack, even though they don't know the poem. :-)

So please share how you are keeping warm and cozy in this VERY cold time. They say it's the worst winter in 20 years. I believe it!

Great Deal on Webkinz

2010-01-03T12:04:00.003-06:00

It's been one of those days so far....it started out with my son up at 2:15 a.m. not feeling well and moved along to taking him to the local Take Care Clinic along snow-packed roads with snow falling like crazy. Ugh. At least I wasn't being a paranoid mom, though, as his strep test turned positive very quickly. If only they could have gotten me the prescription half as quickly. That. Took. Forever. Seriously - I have been reminded why I only go to CVS for my prescriptions. Walgreens is disorganized, slow, and not very friendly, either. And they LOST my prescription between the Take Care Clinic and the pharmacy. How do you DO that?? But that's another story, and really not even worth discussing! At least we were the first ones in the door at the Take Care Clinic, and would have been in and out very quickly if not for the pharmacy.

While we were at Walgreens, my kids were looking at the toys, and the girls discovered some special packs of Webkinz that had both a regular pet and the Lil Kinz that matched. Considering that most Webkinz I find cost about $14.99, the set for $9.99 seemed like a great deal. After forcing them to sit for almost two hours during Trevor's clinic visit and the ridiculous pharmacy adventure, I told them I'd go ahead and buy them. I'll just pick up an extra mystery shop or two this month to pay for them. :)

At the checkout, I was stunned when the packs rang up at $5.00 and $4.99! They were half-price, along with the Christmas items! Even the cashier was shocked, and said she was going to have to get some at that price. She even called over another associate to share the deal with her. If your kids love Webkinz, you definitely need to head over to Walgreens for this deal. They had some in a sidecap display in the toy area and others in a bin in front of the Christmas merchandise (what was left of it, anyway). I wonder when they will go 75% off? That would be worth another trip to get some for gifts. I plan to go back later in the week just to check!

If you happen to read this and visit your local Wags for some cheap Webkinz (think birthdays, or even Christmas this year), let me know! It's not often that you find them this inexpensively. Happy shopping!

Resolve to Eat Breakfast

2010-01-01T20:03:00.004-06:00

Today is the first day of 2010. Whether you call it "twenty-ten" or "two thousand ten," it's the dawn of a new decade. It's also the time for those wonderful New Year's Resolutions. Did you make any? I prefer to think of them as goals, and I have a few in mind, but haven't put them to paper just yet.

If you're also still planning out your resolutions for the year, I have one that you definitely need to add to your list, both for you and your family. Resolve to eat breakfast this year! Eating breakfast is the best way to start out the day.

One of the best choices for breakfast is a nice bowl of General Mills cereal. They already make many of the best kids' cereals on the market, but now they are making them even better! General Mills has made a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

And there are plenty of other benefits to enjoying a bowl for breakfast:

* Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.

* Ready-to-eat cereal is the number one source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.

* More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

* Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Did you also resolve to save money this year? Then I've got a deal for you! Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. How great is that??

Eating breakfast is a simple way to improve your overall health and well-being. Resolve to commit to a morning family meal, and make General Mills a part of that. This is one resolution you will enjoy keeping!

DISCLAIMER: I received four coupons for a free box of General Mills Cereal through MyBlogSpark for posting about General Mills' commmitment to kids' nutrition. No other compensation was received. The facts are from General Mills, but the opinions are strictly mine and you will always find General Mills cereals in my pantry! :-)

Fiber One Winners!!

2010-01-01T11:59:00.003-06:00

With the holiday season, participation was sadly low for my recent Fiber One Yogurt giveaway. But that's good for those who took the time to enter, isn't it?? :) This morning, I went to random.org to generate two numbers to choose my winners. If I knew how to do it, I would post the screenshots of the generator, but I have no clue how to do that. If you know, and would tell me in a comment or email, I'd love to learn!!

My winners are:

#1 JDaniel4's Mom and

#7 Annie Jones

Congratulations, ladies!!! I will be sending you an email very soon to get your mailing information and your prize pack will come directly from MyBlogSpark. I hope you enjoy your free yogurt, as well as all the fun goodies that come with it.

Thanks so much, and I look forward to more giveaways in the future. Hopefully the timing will be better and more folks can get entered!!

Happy New Year to all!!!!

You Could WIN!

2009-12-29T22:58:00.002-06:00

Hello readers, subscribers, and followers!

Did you know I was having a GIVEAWAY??? There will be TWO winners of Fiber One Prize Packages, and so far I only have FOUR entries! Now that Christmas is over, it's time to get back into the routine and enter some giveaways! You really have a great chance at winning this one, so please enter! It only runs till midnight on 12/31, so enter today!!

Just click HERE!

Tasters Choice....What a JOKE!

2009-12-23T14:10:00.002-06:00

I am absolutely appalled at the practices of Nescafe Tasters Choice. If they ask you to be part of their panel and host any sort of "tasting event," my advice is DON'T!! I signed up on their panel and I receive regular emails from them. As part of my participation on their so-called "panel," I agreed to distribute samples and talk up their products at an event in my home. They in turn agreed to give me "points" of some sort to earn prizes on their website. Oh, and they also promised an Amazon gift card worth $25. Seemed reasonable. They sent me two boxes of samples to distribute, and each box of sample packets was different. I figured, great...variety is a good thing.

So I held a Christmas cookie exchange in my home and served Tasters Choice, as well as offering samples to all the guests. I took the photos and submitted my information to Nescafe. They emailed me today and rejected my submission, stating that I used the "wrong" samples and therefore they wouldn't honor my event.

How is this possible?? THEY shipped me the products for the event that was approved by THEM, and now that the event has occurred, they decide it doesn't "qualify"?? Talk about lying and deceptive business practices! You promote our product to your friends and then we will find a reason to not give you anything we promised in exchange. We win, you lose. Nice, huh?

I can definitely guarantee that I will never purchase any of their products. I don't support companies that intentionally deceive the public. I'll happily purchase Starbucks Via for my instant coffee needs and equally happily share with others how they do business.

I've asked to be immediately removed from their "panel." What a joke it is. I wonder how many other people they've duped into providing them with free marketing promotion. Nescafe is truly pathetic.

Fiber One Yogurt Review and Giveaway

2009-12-13T19:39:00.009-06:00

Actually, if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember that I posted earlier this year about how much I loved-loved-loved the Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt. That stuff is GOOD! I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the entire line of yogurts from Fiber One. The commercials aren't exaggerating when they say that you won't believe it's high in fiber. If the taste doesn't get you right away, the creamy texture certainly will.

Fiber One Yogurt comes in several varieties: Key Lime Pie (my personal favorite), Vanilla (quite tasty), Strawberry (soooo good), and Peach (rich and creamy). Each delicious 4 ounce cup contains a mere 50 calories, but has 3 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and no fat! It provides you with 20% of your daily level of fiber and tastes so great that you will want more than one! What I really like about the Key Lime Pie Yogurt is that they capture not only the flavor of the pie filling that I love, but there's also a hint of pie crust flavor, too! I was surprised at how delicious this yogurt is. It definitely satisfies a craving for sweets without harming your waistline!

I've been a fan of HungryGirl for some time now, and Fiber One Yogurt is on her list of must-buy foods. They fill you up for minimal calories, and are full of goodness that your body needs. It's a win-win, no matter how you slice (or spoon) it!

BUY IT: You can find Fiber One Yogurt in the yogurt section at your favorite grocer, and to make it even better, you can find a $1 off coupon HERE.

WIN IT: Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Fiber One Yogurt, I have two fantastic prize packs to give away to YOU, my readers! You know you want to win this:

TWO lucky winners will receive this exact prize pack (but you will get a coupon for a free yogurt rather than the yogurt itself)! It's easy to enter! Just leave me a comment about how you currently include more fiber in your diet and/or how many grams you think you eat every day. That should get you thinking! :-)

For bonus entries you may do any or all of the following:

* Subscribe to or follow my blog and leave a comment that you do. If you're already a follower or subscriber, you can let me know, and it counts, too.

* Tweet this giveaway and leave me the link to your tweet in the comments.

* Blog about the giveaway with a link on your own personal blog and leave me a comment with the url.

* Grab my button and post it on your blog, then leave me the link or url so I can find it.

That's a total of 5 possible entries! You have a great chance of winning! I will use random.org to choose 2 winners from all eligible comments submitted and will notify the winners via email (so make sure your email is either easily visible in your profile or that you leave it in your comment/s).

Enter by midnight CST on Thursday, December 31st. U.S. addresses only, please. I will announce the winners on Friday, January 1st, and the prize packs will be shipped directly from My BlogSpark. Thanks for entering and good luck!!!!!

Disclosure: The product, information, prize pack, and giveaway have all been provided by Fiber One through MyBlogSpark and I received this prize package to write this review and host the giveaway.

Deals at Hen House, Kansas City

2009-11-18T09:30:00.002-06:00

If you live in the Kansas City area and attended the Hen House Holiday food show earlier this month, you can really score some great deals this week! I'm talking 12 cans of Libby's vegetables for .88!!!! That's for TWELVE! And how about a 15.8 ounce bag of wonderful Sister Shubert's rolls for just a buck?? There are many more deals than just those, but I'm on a pretty limited budget, so I only got a few of the best ones. Here's what I purchased today for just $11.10!:

3 bags of Empire apples - $3 (produce special)
12 cans of Libby's vegetables - .88 (.49 sale, less .50/3 Hen House card discount and $1/4 manufacturer's coupons)
2 bags of Nestle morsels - $1.76 (1.88 sale less .50 c/o)
2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - $1.96 (1.48 sale less .50/2 c/o)
Roberts Cottage Cheese - $1.10 (1.98 sale less .48 Hen House card and .40 c/o)
2 bags Sister Shubert's rolls - $2.00 (2.50 sale less $1/2 Hen House card and $1 c/o)

If you missed the food show, be sure and go next year if they do it again. Not only do you get enough samples and coupons to make up for your $5 admission fee (not to mention the free reusable bag!), but I saved $6 last week and $3.50 this week on just the few things I bought! The discounts are loaded onto your card and automatically deducted at the register until January 2nd. It's most definitely worth going!!!!

My Almost Free Christmas

2009-11-12T21:36:00.002-06:00

I find it so difficult to believe that Christmas will be here in a bit over a month. How does the time get away from us? It will be 2010 before we take a moment to sit down and look at a calendar!

For this Christmas, I have known for awhile that I wouldn't have the money on hand that I've had in the past several (working) years to spend on gifts. So I have spent a lot of this year preparing. I haven't been shopping much until recently, but I've been setting us up to be able to "purchase" most of our gifts for nothing or very little. And, amazingly, we've managed to be successful!!

What I've done is focus on points programs that don't really cost anything. One of the programs is not one that most people can access, but most of them are out there online, and anyone can take advantage! First, I have MyPoints. If you look at the guidelines for the program, you are allowed up to two accounts per household, so I set up an account for myself and one for my husband. The best part is that if you initially set up only one account, you can then refer another household member for bonus points! If you are not a member of this program, it's fairly simple. You receive emails almost daily that advertise and direct you to specific websites. By clicking on the link they provide, you basically earn 5 points per mail. They also offer frequent surveys worth at least 10 points, and something called the MyPoints FrogPond where you can receive 25 points for simply giving your opinion on a site. If you shop online, you can go through their site and earn even more points. It's only a few points at a time for the most part, but it adds up quickly and I've been able to get more than I even anticipated with my MyPoints. If you aren't a member, I'd love to refer you - just give me your email address and I will send you an invitation.

Another program I love is ZoomPanel. This is a survey company that sends me a survey every 2-3 days. Every survey for which I do not qualify earns me 5 points; the surveys that I get to complete can be worth 50, 75, or even 100 points. In addition, I've tried many products through this company and given them my opinions. You can redeem these points for a multitude of items in their gift catalog - and they have some really nice stuff!! Again, I'd be happy to refer you - just send me your information.

One of the most popular programs out there is SwagBucks. You earn SwagBucks for simply doing something you probably do every day - web searching! You can download the toolbar or go to the website and perform your search. Randomly (generally 1-2 times per day, depending on how frequently you search), you receive SwagBucks when you get your results. Most of the time it's 1 at a time, but I have gotten 2 and 3 bucks several times, and once I even got 20 just for searching! You can redeem these bucks for many gift cards (I tend to do the Amazon $5 e-giftcards and get 1 or more a month), paypal "cash" or other items. It's a great deal, because I'm always searching anyway. I've managed to get several things for my kids from Amazon.com with my free gift cards. This is most definitely worth checking out! Go to Swagbucks, sign up, and start searching!

The program that not everyone can join is called Food Service Rewards. It's a restaurant program where you earn points based on the products you buy. I've been able to order some presents for my kids through this program, but since it's limited to restaurants, I won't go into the specifics. Just realize that you never know where you will find a points program that you can use to earn money or gifts - always look into anything you find because you never know when it will be a wonderful deal for you!

There are other survey companies out there that either save up your points that can be redeemed for cash - I don't even know of or belong to all of them. I also know of a site called Inbox Dollars where you earn .03 for each email that you read/click on. You can't cash out until you have $30, so that takes a very long time, but it's worth doing in the long run. I figure I will hit the $30 level about once a year. Maybe for next Christmas..... :)

A program that has been an amazing help in paying for Christmas isn't an online program at all. It's through my Citibank credit card. I'm not as happy with their Thank You Redemptions program as I used to be, because they no longer give 5 points per dollar for certain types of purchases, but they still provide 1 point for every dollar spent. The points are then redeemed on their website for a variety of gifts and gift cards. I've only used my points for the gift cards, and this year I was able to get 2 $100 Visa debit cards to finish the shopping for the kids. Those came in SO handy! Sadly, I can't earn points as quickly as I used to when grocery and gas spending added up five times faster, so I'm not advocating Citibank like I used to, but I do still use the card. I just make sure that I pay it off every month. Especially now that they've taken away the bonus I loved, I will not pay them a dime in interest. I charge quite a bit each month, but always pay in full, which helps the points to really be "free."

I know there are lots of credit card rewards programs out there, so look around and see what you can find. It might be worth changing cards to take advantage of the program that works well for you and gives you the most benefits.

So there you have it, and a long blog post to boot! My (almost) free Christmas shopping. I'm loving being able to give the kids things they want and not spending too much money. Christmas doesn't have to put you into debt or cause financial stress. A few minutes each day will give you several gifts by the end of the year. And keep your eyes peeled - you never know what freebies you will find out there!

Enter to Win a Kindle

2009-11-06T18:47:00.003-06:00

Hello, all! I know I've been very quiet on the blog front lately, but I promise to think of a great topic really soon and get it posted. Things have been crazy around here, and I'm sure that isn't going to change anytime soon with Christmas coming fast, but I am sure I will eventually think of something exciting to write! :-)

In the interim, I just found this giveaway online and I would LOVE to win a Kindle! I think it would be so neat to own one. Since it's a great giveaway, I wanted to share. Click here to enter! Good luck! Hope I you win!!

An Award-Winning Costume!!

2009-10-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

I found a sombrero at a garage sale a couple of months ago and bought it, with the idea of trying to make a jellyfish costume, just to see how it looked. I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a remnant of a light blue chiffon and some small rolls of ribbon and sequins. Here is the final result:

My youngest LOVED it!! So she became a jellyfish for Halloween. Tonight, we took the kids to a "Fright Night" event at Park University. They did some trick or treating, played games, painted pumpkins, and had some fun. We were about to leave when the girls decided they might want to be in the upcoming costume contest. The older one backed out, but my little one had gotten so many compliments on her costume that she wanted to participate. She was in the 6-8 age group, as she is 7.

The kids all paraded across the stage and then gathered for the judging. A Dorothy (from Oz) costume took third place, and then a child in a hideous monster mask was given second. I heard a few people in the crowd chanting "jellyfish, jellyfish" and was surprised by this. Then, the announcer said, "And first place goes to our COOL jellyfish!" There was actually a cheer that went up in the audience! She was SOOO excited! She couldn't stop talking about it. :-) They gave her a Connect Four game and a very large bag full of mini candy bars....she's set! That made our night.

I think it's so funny that a simple costume that I created myself won a costume contest over several expensive store-bought ensembles. Now my girls are arguing over which one gets to be the jellyfish next year....I might have to make another one! Anyone have a sombrero???? LOL

Great Deal at Hobby Lobby

2009-10-20T10:10:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share a truly great deal I got this morning at Hobby Lobby! I was looking at the clearance area and noticed some very nice scrapbooks. They are the Generations Memory Album in Luxurious Leather with 100 pages with sheet protectors. The price on these gorgeous albums is $39.99. They were clearanced at $5.00!! The cashier told me that they just got the markdown last night on their sheets, so they had only been on the shelf at this price a very short time when I found them. She said they knew they would go fast.

If you're near a Hobby Lobby, it's definitely worth checking for this deal. If you scrapbook, these are beautiful archival albums. If you know a scrapbooker, what an awesome Christmas gift!!!

What?? No Pumpkin???

2009-10-16T17:25:00.004-05:00

So the word is that we are in the midst of a canned pumpkin shortage. Libby's has reported that bad weather conditions LAST year are resulting in very low production of canned pumpkin right now. Apparently there was a bit of a panic recently on Twitter and people are afraid they will have no pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The horror!

I'm actually not participating in the uproar. I haven't even looked for canned pumpkin at any of my grocery stores, though I might start, just out of curiousity to see if I can find it. But every time I've gone to the store lately, I've seen huge boxes absolutely overflowing with lovely, round, bright orange pumpkins. So why worry???

I know, some people look at the garden produce and see only porch decorations or a future Halloween Jack-o-Lantern. But guess what? You can actually take one of the pumpkins from your local grocer and probably get enough pumpkin to keep you in bread, pies, and bars until the end of the season! It isn't even difficult!

I usually keep my pumpkins out for decoration until Halloween; I do pull them in when it freezes overnight, though. Then, I bring them inside and straight to the kitchen. I give them a good washing, remove the stems, and then cut them in half. I scrape out the seeds into a colander and get a cookie sheet out of the cabinet and spray it with a little oil. I place my pumpkin halves on the cookie sheet and pop them into a 375° oven until they are nice and soft.

Once the squash is softened, I pull them out and let them cool for a bit, until I can pull off the outer skin. It usually comes off with very little effort once the pumpkin is good and cooked. Then I put the pumpkin flesh in a large bowl and puree it down a bit with my hand blender. Once it's nice and mashed, I measure one-cup amounts into zip-top bags and prepare them for the freezer. I generally have cooked pumpkin year-round because those big ones result in a LOT!!!

Just today I pulled out 2 bags and made a big batch of pumpkin bars. A few days ago I made pumpkin cheesecake bars. The fresh (frozen) pumpkin truly makes delightful treats, and I don't miss the canned variety at ALL!

So don't fret about the "Great Pumpkin Shortage of 2009." Besides the fact that Libby's also now reports that they are currently processing the current year's harvest and it will be shipping to stores in plenty of time for holiday baking, you can definitely enjoy everything pumpkin and never open a single can! Try it....you will be amazed at how easy and delicious fresh pumpkin really is.

Lowe's Needs a Lesson in Customer Service

2009-10-13T08:27:00.004-05:00

I am so completely disenchanted with Lowe's. I *thought* they were a reputable and reliable company, but the way they handle customer service has forced me to re-evaluate that idea. In the last year or so, we've purchased 3 major appliances from them - washer, dryer, and dishwasher. The delivery of the washer and dryer was a nightmare. Twice they scheduled delivery and then didn't show up. I had to call the store and find out that the dryer wasn't in yet, so they couldn't deliver. Excuse me? Maybe you should actually CALL me and let me know this so I am not sitting around all day waiting??? A month after I was supposed to receive the set, they finally delivered it to me. Not too impressive, eh?

Well, now we fast forward to today. My dishwasher (it's a Samsung - NEVER NEVER NEVER buy anything they make as they are JUNK!!!!!) broke down on Sunday. I called Lowe's because we have their "Service Advantage" (HA!) program. It took forever to get everything set up because they apparently don't keep any record of you unless you have this one specific number from your receipt from purchase. If you don't have that, don't bother calling. I did finally locate all the information and they told me that I had an appointment on Tuesday between 8 and 5. I was assured of the confirmation of this date.

Today, being Tuesday, I have arranged my entire schedule so that I can be home all day. I decided to contact the servicing company to inquire if they could possibly narrow down the time to maybe morning or afternoon. After being on hold awhile, they told me they had no record of me. Huh???? So I called Lowe's back. After some "research" (and more hold time), she tells me that there wasn't any availability for today. I asked her when they learned this, and she told me yesterday. So I asked her, don't you think that you might have wanted to let ME know this information?????? They never bothered to reschedule or contact me or do ANYTHING at all! They just left it there, and there was no follow up scheduled in any way. What the flip kind of customer service is that????

After a few more times on hold and being assured that "this never happens," (gosh - why do I truly doubt that?) she told me that I would have service on Thursday. So I'm hand-washing dishes even longer because of the stupidity and lack of service at Lowe's. Hmmm....maybe if they had any inkling of how to take care of their customers, they could have called me yesterday and scheduled something for tomorrow??

I am just plain disgusted with Lowe's at this point. They have no follow-up at all and really don't seem to care at all if their customers receive any service. And do they offer anything for their blatant error? Of course not! Just....well, we got you scheduled for Thursday, and so what if you have to change your entire schedule for another full day? I think they should at least send someone here to wash my dishes! Yeah, that's not going to happen, but seriously, after this experience, I will never buy another major appliance from Lowe's. There are many other companies out there that might actually contact their customers if there is a problem. I'll be giving someone else a try. Lowe's doesn't get a third chance to make a good impression.

Too Cute to Not Share

2009-10-11T21:34:00.002-05:00

I had the most adorable conversation with my daughter earlier tonight. She was asking me about Columbus Day and why it was something to celebrate. I was a little surprised she had not discussed Columbus in school, so I joked that it was my friend Christy's birthday.

This answer didn't suit her, so she pressed a bit more, saying that she knew Columbus had sailed around, but didn't know what he had done worth a day on the calender. "Well, he discovered America," I told her. She thought about that a moment and said, "That's worth something." Then she continued, "But I thought the Pilgrims discovered America....was Columbus their driver???"

How cute is that??? It's funny how kids grasp things, including history and life in the past. And there are so many times that I think I will remember something that one of the said, but sadly, I do forget. This one is now recorded here, so I can't forget it! :-)

Deliciously Easy Fruit Dip

2009-10-09T11:05:00.004-05:00

I'm the Box Tops Coordinator for my girls' school and we recently had a classroom contest. With over 8,000 Box Tops submitted, I needed some help trimming, sorting, and counting. Of course, this meant I had to have food for everyone! I had some fruit, but I wanted a dip to go with it. Every dip I found online required marshmallow creme, which I did not have, so I ended up creating my own dip, and we LOVED it! So I thought I would share the simple recipe. It's a little strangely written, but I am NOT a measuring cook - I just put it together till I like it!

1 1/2 - 2 cups yogurt (I used vanilla, but plain would be fine)
1/2 - 3/4 package instant pudding (I used pumpkin - YUM!)
1/4 - 1/2 c. sour cream

Put the yogurt in a bowl and pour in the pudding mix. Start with about half the package, and add more if needed - the amount of yogurt you use will affect how much pudding mix you need. Stir in the pudding mix until smooth. Stir in the sour cream to cut the sweet a bit. Taste as you go to see where you need more or less of something.

It sounds a little weird, I know, but it is SO good! I bought more yogurt today to make it again as an apple dip. The kids thought it was fantastic, and the pumpkin was ideal for fall.

For more great recipe ideas, visit the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!

Awesome Trip to CVS!!

2009-09-28T12:12:00.002-05:00

Look at all that stuff! Want to guess how much I paid for it all?? Fifty-six CENTS!!! AND, I got back a $10 ECB for future purchase! Can you believe it? That's the best I've done at CVS in awhile! Here's the breakdown:

1st Transaction:
Vaseline Sheer Infusion - $7.99 (used $1.50 coupon)
2 boxes raisins - .50
Paid with $6.99 ECB - free
Received $7 ECB

2nd Transaction:
Bounty Basic 6 pack - $6 (used .25 coupon)
2 Bounce Dryer bars - $8 (used 2 $1.50 coupons)
Duracell 16 pack AA batteries - $10 (used .75 coupon)
2 boxes raisins - .50
Dawn - $1 (used .50 coupon)
High School Musical flash cards (clearance .75)
2 bags candy corn - .88 each

Used $1 ECB from a prior purchase, $7 ECB from the first transaction, and $15 ECB from taking a survey as a CVS Advisor.
Total $0.56
Received $10 ECB

Now THAT was a great trip to CVS!!!

Choco-Toffee Cheesecake

2009-09-25T21:30:00.004-05:00

A couple of nights ago, DH came home from work with 6 packages of cream cheese that were "leftover." Of course, he and all the kids immediately asked me to make them a cheesecake. Since the main ingredient was being provided, how could I say no? The main question was, what kind of cheesecake should I make? I decided to just wing it and the resulting product was devoured with choruses of "the best cheesecake EVER" and "when can you make this again???" There is still a little bit left, as it is VERY rich. Here's how it looks:

Hungry yet?? :-)

Since I didn't follow a recipe, I have to try and figure out exactly what I did so I AM able to make it again someday, and I thought I would do it here, so I can share the recipe. Get ready to bake a delightful dessert!

Choco-Toffee Cheesecake

Crust:
About 16 chocolate sandwich cookies
3 T. butter, melted

Crush cookies in food processor. Stir in melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Filling:

3 packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2-3 T. flour
1 c. chocolate chips, melted
3 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
1 c. mini chocolate chips
1 c. toffee bits

Beat cream cheese with sugars and flour with mixer on medium speed until smooth and blended. On low, blend in melted chocolate chips until color is evenly distributed and smooth. Beat in eggs on low, one at a time. By hand, blend in sour cream and chips and toffee bits. Once combined and smooth, pour over crust.

Place in a 300° oven on the top rack, with an overproof pan of water on the lower rack. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off oven and leave door closed for another hour. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour before placing in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

At serving time, top each slice with:

Caramel ice cream topping
Chocolate chips
Toffee bits

This is very good, but VERY rich! And let's not even talk about the calories....that's just plain scary!! :-) Enjoy!!!

For more recipes to try, visit the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!

Boston Market

2009-09-25T20:41:00.003-05:00

As a member of BzzAgent, I occasionally get to join campaigns to try new products and then spread the word about my experiences. Word of mouth advertising is very effective, and BzzAgent is a great opportunity to try new things and share them with the world!

Recently, I received a coupon for a free individual meal at Boston Market. I hadn't tried them before, so I was excited to visit. My husband and I went there for lunch this week. I ordered their half-chicken meal, which came with two sides and cornbread. My selections were mashed potatoes and gravy and corn.

After placing my order, I moved down to the opposite end of the counter, past the prep area. I could see all the sides behind a glass barrier, and they all looked fresh and tasty. In just a few minutes, my meal was ready and was given to me on a tray with a plasticware packet. The half chicken was a nice portion and it was one of the most tender and flavorful rotisserie chickens I had ever tasted. It was served piping hot and I could only eat about half of it. The cornbread was absolutely fantastic, especially when slathered with light butter (YUM!), and the corn was very well-seasoned. The potatoes were okay....they were your basic instant potatoes, but the gravy was very good, and for those of you that have to be careful (like me), it is made without any MSG.

Boston Market is definitely a change from the ordinary quick-serve fare. I would definitely recommend it to anyone! And right now, they have a kids-eat-free special going on - two kids eat off the kids menu with each adult meal purchase. There's never been a better time to try it if you haven't, or to visit again for a wonderful meal! Bring the whole family....you will love it!

Tonight was Over the Top!!!

2009-09-16T22:28:00.006-05:00

Do you live in the Kansas City area? If so, then you need to spend an evening with Ringing Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the Sprint Center this week!! There are tickets available for Thursday or Friday nights, or for three shows Saturday or two shows on Sunday. I'm sure you can make it to at least one of those!

We had the pleasure of going for opening night tonight. What a fun and exciting show! The music and action was so exciting, and the kids just LOVED all the animals, acrobats, bright lights, and those clowns! A word of advice? Don't come to the Circus late and be in the path of the clown who is wandering about in the audience. What a hoot! I'm glad it wasn't me, but it was definitely hilarious - that poor girl! :-)

The most exciting stunt was the Rebels on their motorcycles inside the steel dome - WOW! I don't even know how to describe it. The insurance underwriter in me was terrified!! lol! There was non-stop fun and action all over the arena and my kids, along with every child around us, were completely mesmerized.

Whether your kids enjoy animals, light shows, dancing, motorcycles, or just a fun time, you will have a GREAT time at the Ringling Bros. Circus! And you can get 4 tickets for only $11 each by using code MOM on ticketmaster.com!! The ticketmaster fees still apply, but it's a great value for a wonderful night of family entertainment! And free for every ticket holder is an all-access pre-show! We got to go down on the main floor and meet performers, collect autographs, try on costumes, and have a grand time!

If you're anywhere near Kansas City, don't miss this great opportunity for an Over the Top experience at the Sprint Center with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey!!! Let me know if you go - I'd love to know what you thought!

Works For Me Wednesday - Chocolate Pudding

2009-09-15T20:01:00.003-05:00

I haven't done a Works for me Wednesday post in many months, but yesterday I discovered something that was so cool, I want to share!

I needed to use up some milk that was near its end, so I decided to make a trifle with pudding, graham crackers, and marshmallows. But when I got into the cabinet, I found that I only had one box of instant pudding. I knew 2 cups wasn't going to be enough for the dessert I wanted, so I decided to experiment. I made the instant chocolate pudding, but I used THREE cups of milk instead of the two as directed on the package. I followed the directions to stir it for 2 minutes and then set it in the refrigerator.

To my delight, I had 3 cups of perfect pudding! It was nicely thickened and made a fabulous trifle! Nobody noticed a taste difference in the extra, so from now on I'm going to stretch my instant pudding mix into 3 cups instead of 2. Give it a try - and get 50% more pudding for your money! It definitely works for me!!

For more great tips from people just like you, visit Works for Me Wednesday.

My New Craft Room

2009-09-14T09:59:00.009-05:00

I have been unbelievably busy for the past few days. Isn't it amazing how a simple comment can turn your life upside down?? My youngest has been in an upstairs bedroom since we moved into this house. It's a cute room where the ceiling angles down on either side (kind of like a barn-shape). And the closet in there has been just her size; because it's built into the angled side of the room, it's very short, so she can easily reach her clothes - they're only about 3 feet off the floor.

One day DH and I were talking about how she would eventually outgrow that closet. We know this because we've each whacked our head on the frame of her closet while either putting something away or helping her find something. Let me tell ya, it hurts! She is getting bigger all the time (since I haven't figured out yet how to make kids stop growing!) and so we knew in a year or two, we'd have to figure out another bedroom plan.

We decided that the best idea might be for our son (the oldest) to move downstairs. Our basement is nicely finished, and a little different. It's U-shaped with the stairs in the middle. You go down the stairs and enter the room, turning left. Immediately on the right is the bathroom, then the door to the garage. You walk forward into the sitting area where the TV and fireplace are, then turn left again to the pool table, then left again to the "bar area." The people who lived here before us installed the bar because they had lots of parties. I have been using the bar as a scrapbooking center - nothing alcoholic about it. Anyway, we thought that our son might enjoy that back area if we could figure out a way to make a temporary wall to enclose it.

Well said son heard the discussion and got very excited about having his room downstairs. He loved the idea of having his own space away from everyone and having the bar area for Lego Bionicle building. But he wanted it NOW. And he said that since nobody goes downstairs after bedtime, he didn't care if we put up a wall yet or not. He just wanted his room down there. The girls then got wind of this, and got all excited about having their rooms across from each other. So suddenly the youngest wants to move into her brother's room NOW.

So what did I do? I decided to let them have what they wanted. Ugh. We had to move furniture from the main level to the basement, from the upper level to the main level, and from the basement to the upper level! It has been chaotic at best! But now, I'm happy to say, my son is happily sleeping downstairs, the girls are settled in their rooms across from each other, and I have a sewing/craft room upstairs! It has taken hours of work and lots of trips up and down the stairs, but I love my new room. I haven't decorated yet at all, but I took some photos of how I've set it up.

I tried to put it together in "zones." Each corner is basically a different area. I am going to get some more chairs moved up there - there's plenty more work to do, but the bulk of it is done. Here is the far right corner as you enter - it's my scrapbooking area:

That weird box beside the table with the white hose-thing on top? That's the portable air conditioner, which is necessary because this particular room gets REALLY hot when it gets over 80° outside. I'm not sure what they did when building it, but it gets like an attic. That a/c gets it cool very quickly, though.

And here is a close up of the shelf area, as verification that I have ENTIRELY too many scrapping papers! lol

Now, to the left of that window, in the other corner on that side of the room, is my sewing area. I haven't gotten into my bins and pulled out my fabric, so the shelf is partially empty, but someday it might be a cool and productive area (we'll see, anyway!):

And just over from that, in the corner "behind" the door, I have an area that the kids can use for their activities. There is a little dresser where supplies can be stored, and room for a folding table to be set up for them to work on their own special projects:

And finally, the corner just to the right as you walk into the room is my cozy little reading/knitting nook. I love the chair, so I had to have it, and it's right next to the shelf with all my various crafting books and magazines. I just need to get a nice lamp to put beside the chair and I'm set!

I'm hoping that I can get a lot done in this new room of mine. If I get going, I'll definitely post projects as I finish them. I just hope they start turning out better than that baby sweater.....*sigh*

It was an Attempt....Just a Bad One!

2009-09-13T21:37:00.003-05:00

I had such high expectations....what was I thinking???? I taught myself to knit a couple of years ago and hadn't tried to do it for several months. But I got this book at the library that was called "Baby Knits for Beginners" and thought..."I can do that!" I should really learn not to think!

I know someone who is expecting a baby girl in January, and I happened to have this super-soft cotton yarn in my stash. The pattern looked simple enough, so I developed the bright idea to make her baby a cute little pink sweater. It was knitted in 4 parts (back, front, 2 sleeves) and then sewn together. Sounds easy enough, right? Let me tell you - that sewing together business is FAR from easy, and the book skipped over that instruction....I guess most knitters are just smarter than I am.

I finished knitting several days ago, but some room-switching with the kids has taken precedence over sewing the parts together. Tonight I was exhausted and sitting on the couch watching the Packers and the Bears and decided to finish my project. Individually, the pieces had looked okay, but once assembled.....not so much. Here is the finished product (note: the sleeves are the same size - it's the camera angle that makes the one look much shorter):

And a closer look to see my wonderfully uneven knitting:

It just looks so....blah. I am wondering if I can wash it and get it to look less stretched out, but I haven't knitted a garment before, so I don't know. I suppose I should ask someone who knows how to knit, but I don't want to look clueless. I was so hoping for a lovely baby gift...I even planned on matching booties. At least I've made a few pairs of booties, so I know I can make those look okay. I might have to skip the sweater and make two pairs of booties!!

Apparently, I need to spend a little more time practicing before I tackle knitting sweaters. It is just as hard as it looks!!!

Not So Common Courtesy

2009-09-11T10:19:00.003-05:00

Whatever happened to decency and courtesy? Did it suddenly become a rule that you can't wear white OR use your manners after Labor Day? Oh wait, it didn't start on Labor Day, so I guess that isn't it! I just can't figure out why more and more people have developed this "me and me only" attitude and can't even bother to be respectful or friendly anymore!

Freecycle is quite a good example of where general human courtesy seems to be gone by the wayside. I have all but stopped offering items to people through Freecycle. I love the concept, and I really enjoy helping people when they need something, but why is it that 95% of the time, when I make an offer, I end up with RUDE people who not only don't show up as promised, but then ignore follow up email??

I'm gifting you with something - no strings attached. All I ask is that when you say you are going to show up, you actually DO. And I know things happen and life gets in the way of your plans, but seriously! Does it really take that long to send me an email telling me that you can't make it and either offering an alternate pickup or asking me to give it to another?????

I run into these ridiculous people whenever I'm out in public (don't even get me started on my cashier at Hen House today!!!!), but when I'm GIVING something to them, why can't they at least attempt to act like a civilized human being??? I'm so frustrated with the attitude of people anymore. I used to watch a little girl after school. The agreement was that her mom would pick her up at 4:00, so she was only at my house for about half an hour. No big deal, right? And I was helping her out because she could then finish out her workday and come home to her child. So why is it that after the first week or so, suddenly it was okay for her to run errands and do her grocery shopping after school? It got to be 4:15....then 4:30....then even as late as 5:30 because she met a friend after work!!! Excuse me???? When did I become a free afternoon babysitter?? And the sad thing is that I know of at least two other people that are in this same situation. It's become okay to take advantage of your "friends."

It strikes me as very sad that people have so little regard for the time and efforts of others. What a wonderful world this would be if everyone stopped regarding himself or herself as the center of the universe, the only one who matters. My girls go to a school with 474 families. So why is it that so few of the parents volunteer anything for the school??? I know that not everyone has time to spend hours up at the school, but there are so many little ways that they can help without spending much time or money. Do you know that the PTA only asks for 3 hours a YEAR? Yep...if everyone gave only three little hours a year, everything would get done without anyone being over-volunteered. What a concept!

Okay, I will get off my soapbox now. I also need to go remove the piece of furniture from the front of my house, since it's become quite obvious that Miss Marybeth has all the manners of a common farm hog and isn't going to pick it up or bother to respond to my emails. She's classy....not!!! Looks like the thrift store will benefit from her rudeness, so it works out in the end.

A Simple Way to Help Your Local School

2009-09-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in awhile...I really am trying to think of interesting topics that you might actually WANT to read. But I found out about this deal today, and I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it!

I'm sure you've heard of Campbell's Labels for Education. Schools and other organizations save up UPCs from Campbell's line of wonderful products and send them in to the collection center. These points (1 or 5 for each UPC, depending on the product) are "banked" and once enough are collected, the school can redeem them for great products. It's a fabulous program that is very beneficial - I think every household uses at least a few Campbell's products on a regular basis.

This week, starting September 9th, you can get your school 100 bonus labels!!! And it's SO easy! Check your local grocery ads for a small bonus form. You go to a store and purchase only 5 Campbell's products (if you're a couponer, you can really get these inexpensively!). Take the UPCs and your receipt and attach them to the form and send them to your school. Instead of the 5 points, the school will now get 100! These bonus labels will help your school so much!

It only costs a few dollars and a little time to make a big difference. Thanks for supporting your school!!

Menu Plan Monday, week of 8/31/09

2009-08-31T16:05:00.003-05:00

How can it possibly be September already??? And how can it be like 70° outside on the last day of August? Life can be bizarre at times!!

I did a slightly different menu plan this week. I waited until today because I knew I was going to the store and I wanted to see what bargains I found before I planned. I also haven't figured out the weekend yet. There isn't a particular reason for this - just the fact that I simply don't know what I want to make. I have the first 5 days planned around what I purchased today and what the kids requested, and I will just decide later what I feel like making this weekend. Fair enough? :-)

Monday - French dip sandwiches, homemade macaroni and cheese, watermelon.

Tuesday - Chicken stir fry, steamed rice, baby corn.

Wednesday - Pastitsio, corn, cornbread.

Thursday - Grilled orange-apricot pork chops, baked potatoes or crunch-top potatoes, "fried" apples, biscuits.

Friday - Ham/mushroom/pineapple pizza on a wheat sourdough crust.

That's all I have! Sorry for the casuality of the menu plan this weekend, but I think that's about all my brain can handle today. I also think I need more caffeine.....lol

Menu Plan Monday, week of 8/24/09

2009-08-23T22:11:00.003-05:00

Last week was another one that got out of control and the menu plan didn't go quite as expected. The start of school is really chaotic when you volunteer for just about everything! :-) This week I've picked some simple meals, due to school obligations I know ahead of time and just to make it easier on me. It's also my birthday tomorrow, so I picked something pretty simple. Here's the plan:

Monday - Sloppy joes, tater tots, "fried" apples (from the freezer).

Tuesday - Using the crock pot due to Parent Orientation Night. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots, homemade rolls.

Wednesday - Gotta grill something this week since we missed it last week! Grilled chicken, green rice, rolls.

Thursday - Beef-mushroom spaghetti, green beans, breadsticks.

Friday - Bacon cheeseburger pizza on a sourdough crust.

Saturday - Pork piccata (still haven't gotten it made!!!), mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits.

Sunday - Bierocks and pizza pockets (from the freezer from last week), leftover sides from earlier in the week.

Sound simple enough? Now let's see if I can stick to it - lol! For more great meal plans, visit Org Junkie.

From Beans to Jeans

2009-08-20T17:38:00.002-05:00

Interesting title, eh? It seemed to fit well with my current thought process, so I went with it. :-)

Yesterday, I had to visit our local hospital's lab for some bloodwork. I have a completely inactive thyroid and in order to keep my medication levels correct, I have to get a blood count done on a fairly regular basis. Usually this is a quick in-and-out process that only takes a few minutes of my day. This wasn't the case yesterday. For a myriad of reasons (none my fault), I had a lengthy wait until I was called back.

As I sat in the waiting area, it began to fill up a bit. Some people sitting near me began discussing the start of school. I wasn't eavesdropping, but they were only a couple of feet away and I couldn't help but overhear - the conversation was obviously innocuous, anyway. The woman asked the man if he had finished his daughter's back-to-school shopping. When he replied affirmatively, she asked what he had spent. He snorted and told her, "$135. And it was ONE pair of jeans!" She was shocked and asked him WHY so much for jeans. He explained that she HAD to have this particular brand, and since they cost $135, it was the only clothing they had bought for her.

The conversation continued, but just that part of it really got me to thinking. In the practice of frugality and making the most of what we have, we tend to focus on the little things that add up to save us money, such as substituting beans for meat in dinners. Washing out Ziploc bags for multiple uses and turning off lights when we leave rooms help us stretch our dollars. But in the midst of all the little things, how much do we consider the BIG things, like teaching our children that money and possessions are not the most important things in their lives?

I know I can't imagine my children even asking me for a pair of jeans (or ANY article of clothing) that cost over $100! They are perfectly happy to shop at thrift stores and garage sales and get very excited when we go to a regular retail store to buy things. None of the three of them care if they have "Tommy Hilfiger" on a shirt or the latest trendy jeans. Now, I know they are still young (the oldest is just 13), but I truly don't believe that will change. It's just the way we are raising them.....bringing them up as the next generation of savers, not spenders. We plan to continue to do this, and hopefully they will never become materialistic.

In the greater scheme of things, both the little things we do (the beans) and the big things (the jeans) are equally important. Just some food for thought. Here's hoping you never "have to" buy a $135 pair of jeans!!!

Menu Plan Monday, Week of 8/17

2009-08-16T18:11:00.003-05:00

Back to school week has arrived. Blah. Time to get back into routines and get up early and do homework and projects and deal with teachers and..... you know how it goes. I guess the alternative is homeschooling, but if you know me at all, you know I don't have the patience for THAT! :-)

As I mentioned in my previous post, there will be some repeats from last week, since I didn't stick to the menu plan at ALL. I'm hoping things will be much calmer this week. So here's the plan:

Monday - Lasagna (already in the fridge from yesterday), salad, Pillsbury French Loaf. I made this lasagna with regular noodles, put in UNcooked, and it turned out great! I will most definitely make it this way again as it saved me a lot of prep time.

Tuesday - Bierocks (I make mine sort of similar to THIS recipe) and pizza pockets (the kids don't like cabbage so I fill some of them with pizza sauce, ham, and mozzarella), salad, glazed carrots (but I drain all the water!)

Wednesday - Skillet chicken supper (delicious with bone-in chicken breasts), biscuits.

Thursday - Rotisserie chicken (I'm cheating...I have to go to Sam's for flour and I plan to pick up a chicken while I'm there), steamed rice, corn, homemade rolls.

Friday - Pizza night - chicken alfredo pizza on a sourdough crust.

Saturday - We are spending the morning on a parade float supporting the Watch D.O.G.S. and probably a lot of the afternoon downtown at the Parkville Days Riverfest, so I'm thinking grill night! Sirloin steaks, either baked potatoes or crunch-top potatoes (depending on my energy level and time), green beans, rest of the rolls from Thursday.

Sunday - Ham and scalloped potatoes (my daughter is STILL begging for this), corn, cornbread.

It's a plan, anyway. Hopefully I can actually stick to it this time around! For more great menu plans, visit Org Junkie!

Life Threw a Curve Ball

2009-08-16T13:20:00.003-05:00

I'm so glad that it's almost football season, because I've grown tired of life's little curveballs, and I'm choosing to believe that baseball season is to blame! Hey, it works for me, anyway.

I haven't blogged this week, but my life has been a little off kilter. On Tuesday, a dear friend ended her battle with liver cancer. I am so blessed that I visited her that afternoon and got to spend some time with her, because only hours after leaving her side, I received the call that she was gone. As you might imagine, that completely threw off my week. We didn't even make it to my son's back to school night festivities. I think we ordered pizza that night and stayed home. It's been a tough week.

As a result of the lost sleep, required school outings, and visitation and funeral events, I haven't stuck to my meal plan for most of the week. We've eaten out entirely too much and my stomach and checkbook are all the worse for it. Today I'm trying to get back into my usual routine, including laundry, cooking, and cleaning the house, which has also suffered greatly this week.

I'll be posting a menu plan later today that will most likely reflect last week's missed meals. I did manage to get a lasagna done last night, and about 3/4 of the way into its bake time, we lost power. It was off for an hour and a half, and I let the lasagna sit in the oven for about the first 45 minutes. It came out fine, and we ate by candlelight with no side dishes - I didn't know when the power would come back, so we didn't open the fridge. You can make Kool-Aid with no power, so the kids loved that! We have enough left for another meal, so that will start off my Monday night. I'm helping with a New Parents' Breakfast at school in the morning, so an easy dinner will be great.

I can't believe school starts tomorrow. I'm so not ready to give my kids back to the school district all day. I'm also not ready to deal with all the nasty germs that come home with them. I'm prepared.....just not ready. :-) I'm sure it won't take long to setting back into the usual schoolday routine and it will all feel normal again, but I really like having my kiddos home with me all day. I'll miss them!

Here's looking forward to a good week this week!

Pac-Man Pork

2009-08-09T17:34:00.003-05:00

Okay, first I definitely have to explain the name of this recipe. My kids named it! I threw it together tonight and asked them what I should call it. My son declared it "Pac-Man Pork" because "we gobbled it all up!" The girls agreed, so thus it has been named. This was a Crock Pot dinner I made up tonight, and as you can tell, it was quite well received.

Pac Man Pork

4 thick-sliced pork chops
1 c. orange juice
2 peaches, sliced
1/2 c. half-and-half
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Place pork chops and orange juice in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-7 hours (I put mine in frozen). About an hour before serving, add the peach slices to the cooker and continue to cook on low. Half-an-hour before serving, stir the cornstarch and seasonings into the half-and-half. Remove pork and peaches from the cooker with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping warm. Stir mixture into juices in cooker and turn up to high. Just before serving, return pork and peaches to cooker and stir gently. The sauce should have thickened and taken on a nice creamy color.

I served it with rice as you can tell, but next time, I will make mashed potatoes to more thoroughly enjoy that rich and creamy gravy!

This was very yummy, and if I named it, I'd probably call it Peaches and Cream Pork Chops. I'm looking forward to having the leftover gravy on a biscuit for breakfast tomorrow! Yummmmm!!!!

Menu Plan Monday, Week of 8/10

2009-08-09T14:10:00.003-05:00

I've had a hard time menu planning this week. I think it's because I'm not looking forward to the last week of having my kids at home for the summer. I hate that school is starting next week! I've also got a lot of things going on this week, which just further complicates matters. But after much contemplation, I think I have finally decided on an acceptable menu. Here goes:

Monday - Jack's Ranch Chicken, rice, sliced fresh peaches, butternut squash, biscuits.

Tuesday - Ham and scalloped potatoes (layers of potato and cubed ham with a simple white sauce and some shredded cheddar, baked in the oven), corn, cornbread. This might end up being cooked in the slow cooker instead because I will be running around most of the day.

Wednesday - No dinner plan, because we will be attending a back-to-school night where they will be feeding us a wonderful meal of hot dogs and potato chips. Can you say "heartburn"??

Thursday - Another weird day, due to yet another back-to-school night. We'll be eating later than usual, so the Crock Pot will be put to use again. I'm going to try making lasagna in the Crock Pot for the first time. Hopefully it will come out okay! We'll have salad and probably Pillsbury French Loaf with it.

Friday - Pizza night! I'm thinking ham and pineapple on a sourdough crust this time around.

Saturday - I'm sure we will have leftover lasagna from Thursday, so I'm planning on having it again tonight with green beans and homemade rolls.

Sunday - Skillet Chicken Supper (I make it with bone-in breasts and it is sooooo good!), salad, the rest of the rolls.

If nothing else, at least it's a plan! :) For more great menus, visit Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie.

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 11

2009-08-09T12:52:00.003-05:00

I'm getting back on track with the grocery bill series, and hopefully I'll wrap it up soon! :) How about two more tips today? Here they are:

Use your Crock Pot! Even the cheapest cut of beef comes out of a Crock Pot tender and moist. You can also spend 10 minutes in the morning putting everything in the Pot and when you come home that evening, dinner is ready to go. This is another way to avoid the temptation to go out and grab a meal.

Make ground beef go further than you thought - if the recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef, chances are you will be fine with just a pound. Another trick is to mix healthy fillers into the ground meat to stretch it further. I've made sloppy joes and pizza pockets with cooked bulgur mixed in with the beef and the kids never even knew! Rice is another great way to stretch ground meat, and makes chicken taco filling go further, too.

I've got my Crock Pot going today, and plan to use it at least once more this week. While cooking in the Crock Pot is incredibly convenient (throw your ingredients in early in the day and it's ready at dinner time), using the slow cooking process also allows you to make wonderful, tender meat from much less expensive cuts. I frequently take inexpensive cuts of steak and cook them all day with a can of diced tomatoes or a can of cream of mushroom soup. We have incredibly moist meat for dinner that just falls apart!

Another appeal to the Crock Pot is its versatility. You can just throw together what you have and out comes dinner. If you discover you forgot to thaw your meat, no problem! You can simply throw the frozen meat in the crock and allow a little extra time for cooking. When I worked, I almost always put in frozen meat and allowed it all day to cook to perfection. Tonight's dinner is an experiment. I have pork chops and a cup of orange juice in the pot right now, and about an hour before dinner, I plan to add sliced peaches and thicken the orange sauce with a bit of cornstarch and cold water. It's a non-recipe dinner, but I know we love orange-apricot pork chops on the grill, so I bet we enjoy this, too!

Last year, a blogger named Stephanie O'Dea committed to using her Crock Pot every day for the entire year. She has a blog filled with wonderful and unique recipes. Check it out here. The recipe she has that I use most frequently is Rotisserie Style Chicken. I generally wrap potatoes in the foil that goes under the chicken for an easy meal.

If you don't use your slow cooker, you really should try it. A few minutes in the morning can result in a lot of time saved in the evening, and we all know time is money. :) Check out Stephanie's blog or do a Swagbucks search for Crock Pot recipes and get started!

Now, let's briefly visit ground beef. The tip, as written, has most of the information, so I will only elaborate a bit (shocking for me, I know!). I never use the amount of ground beef called for in recipes. Generally speaking, I use between a half-pound and a pound per full meal, even if the original recipe calls for a pound or more. Meat loaf is an exception, but even that gets stretched with uncooked oats when I prepare it. I love making sloppy joes and bierocks with cooked bulgur mixed in with the hamburger, and Minute Rice has a wonderful recipe for chicken taco filling that I have used with great results even substituting shredded chicken for the ground. Chances are, your family will never think twice about the ingredients being "filler." My kids, who "hate" bulgur, don't even know that I sneak it into some of their favorite dishes!

So, now you hopefully have some new perspective on cutting your meat budget. What other tips can you share? Please leave a comment!

I'm Back!!

2009-08-08T16:26:00.003-05:00

I've finally returned to my poor neglected blogs. Did anyone actually miss me? Yeah, I didn't think so! :)

I can't believe it's almost time for school to start. The kids only have NEXT WEEK before it's back to the grind. That's terrible! I had great intentions going into summer of having "school time" with them several days a week and working on handwriting, math, grammar, etc. Guess what? That didn't happen. Not at all. We've just been having entirely too much FUN this summer to do that educational stuff! I have to admit, I have really enjoyed the past couple of months and I really am not looking forward to the start of a new school year.

One of the recent fun things we've done is we've visited a farm for peaches and blackberries. We had planned on picking the peaches, but there weren't enough on the trees to pick what we wanted, so we got already-picked ones. It was still a good deal, as it was only $40 for about 50 lbs. of peaches! I spent most of my morning today canning most of them. We still have plenty to eat because we LOVE them, but I have 12.5 quarts of pretty slices all canned up and ready to eat. Seriously, if you've never had a fresh-picked peach, you simply MUST find a farm near you! The difference between fresh peaches and those awful ones you get in the store is unbelievable. My kids don't like store-bought peaches much since I've introduced them to the real deal. Very good stuff!!

The blackberries are all in the freezer, and I'm sure we will soon have a cobbler out of them. I have 14 cups of berries, which should last at least a little while. Last night for dessert, I made a trifle out of yellow cake, peach slices, sliced strawberries, and French Vanilla Cool Whip. It was divine! Trifles just look so pretty that my kids think they are about the coolest dessert out there. I think there's enough left for dessert tonight, but I'm sure they will be asking for more than I have! :)

Anyway....it's good to be back to blogging. I will get back on my grocery savings series very soon with Episode 11! Thanks for hanging around and waiting for me to get back! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

A Blogging Break

2009-08-01T18:04:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick note to let my readers know that I will not have internet access most of next week, so I am going to be on a bit of a blogging break. Please don't think I've disappeared - I will be back soon! Thanks for reading! :-)

Cutting your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 10

2009-07-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

I'm going to do two tips in this edition of our series. They go pretty well together and I'm feeling like skipping ahead. :-)

Plan your menus a week at a time. Look in your pantry and freezer to assess what you have on hand. Look at the grocery ads to see what is on sale for the best price. Plan your meals so you can buy mostly sale items, and only buy what you need.

Keep a list in your kitchen of simple meals you can prepare in 10-20 minutes (i.e. spaghetti, chicken tetrazzini, casseroles, burgers and fries). Keep the ingredients on hand for these. On especially busy nights, or when you just feel too tired to spend an hour cooking, pick something from the list and you'll have dinner quicker than the wait in a fast-food drive through, and won't have spent $25 on a "cheap" dinner out.

Menu planning is a wonderful thing. If you've been reading my blog for long, you've probably seen many "Menu Plan Monday" postings. Literally hundreds of bloggers participate in the meme every week, outlining what they plan to serve for meals that week, and often including recipes or links. It's a great way to find new recipes to try out to keep your menu fresh. I start my menu plan by assessing what I have on hand that needs to be used. I look at what nights DH will be available for grilling and when I have crazy days where a Crock Pot meal will be a blessing. I have a master notebook I use for menu planning. In it, I have pages of ideas for meals using specific ingredients, as well as recipes I found in cookbooks that I want to remember to try.

It does take a little time to get a menu all figured out for the week, but it is a major timesaver all week long! It also saves money because you aren't faced with the "I don't know what to make for dinner" dilemma that results in going out and spending money on something that is convenient and sounds appealing at the time. Making a plan gives you the freedom of knowing what you're going to prepare for each day of the week so you can plan your other daily activities accordingly. It also gives you flexibility, though, as you can always tweak it as you go along. I frequently do this if I find a great sale on something that I need to incorporate or if something just didn't sound good or I forgot to thaw an essential element (this happens quite often, unfortunately!)

If you don't meal plan, start by making a list of the meals you eat most often. This is a great way to start, because chances are you have many of the ingredients on hand. As long as you are making a list, let's visit the other tip. Make a list of meals that you can put together in a matter of minutes, either quick-prep items that then get popped into the oven for a time (ham and scalloped potatoes, chicken and rice casserole, bbq chicken packets) or that are very quick and easy to assemble and cook for when you get into a time pinch (spaghetti and meat sauce, beef stroganoff, tuna casserole).

I keep my quick meal list on the side of my refrigerator and it has come in very handy. I always have the ingredients for most of these meals in the freezer and/or pantry, and if I have something that messes up my plan, I turn to this list. As a rule, I can have these on the table in less than the time it would take me to get in the car, drive to a fast food chain, wait in line, get my food, and drive home. And it's definitely cheaper and healthier, too!!

I had surgery earlier this year. My easy dinners list was what we lived on for the weeks of my recovery. They were meals my husband could put together without difficulty and eventually meals I could actually make without being on my feet too long. And they are family favorites, too, which made it easy for someone else to feed them. So menu planning helps out in more ways than you even realize!

If you decide to jump in and start planning, and you're a blogger, please come over to Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. And then leave me a comment to let me know you joined. I would love to know how much menu planning helps you!!

Cutting your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 9

2009-07-29T17:02:00.002-05:00

Today I am going to tack on an addendum to the usual tip. As I was making dinner tonight, another tip occurred to me. So keep reading for lots of information - and be sure and share your own tips in the comment section! :-)

When buying pre-bagged produce, weigh a couple of bags on the store's scales. A 10 lb. bag of potatoes might actually contain 12 pounds. A pound of carrots may be a bit short. If it's a set price, the heavier, the better!

This one is another that is fairly self-explanatory. There is a margin of error that is allowed in bagged produce. You want to err on the side of too much, not less! Pick a couple of bags of whatever you're buying (potatoes, apples, etc.) and pop them on the scale. You might find a bag of potatoes that is 11.5 pounds or a 3.75 pound bag of apples. This helps ensure you get the most for your money.

On this topic, be sure you check to make sure that the bagged produce is really your best-cost option. On occasion, you might find that the individual items are a bit less. Also, if you aren't going to use up 10 lbs. of potatoes or 3 lbs. of apples before they go bad, then you should get the individual items instead. Only buy what you can use while the food is good. Food waste is NEVER a money savings.

Now for the bonus tip that occurred to me earlier:

Make your meat multi task! I know that sounds a little silly, but it's definitely an effective tool in stretching your dollars. For instance, recently I cooked a small roast for dinner. We ate roast with potatoes the day I cooked it, and then there was a small amount leftover. I turned it into Beef Mushroom Spaghetti the next day. I've learned that you can frequently substitute shredded steak or roast for ground beef in recipes with excellent results.

Yesterday I cooked a chicken in the crock pot. Last night we had the chicken, rice, spinach salad, and rolls for supper. Tonight, I deboned the rest of the chicken and shredded most of it up for chicken enchiladas tonight. I still have one large full breast left that will become chicken salad for lunch tomorrow and/or a chicken alfredo pizza on Friday for dinner! In addition, I have the stock in the refrigerator that will make a wonderful soup. Since it's so hot, I will likely freeze it for later. The chicken cost me $2.85 on sale, and it is going to make as many as 5 meals - how can you beat that??

Of course, now we're getting into using leftovers creatively, and that's a tip we'll cover later. :-)

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 8

2009-07-27T22:03:00.002-05:00

This next tip is pretty simple, so I figured I could do two tonight:

Shop with cash only. You are much less likely to make impulse purchases if you only have $x to spend. This also adds an element of challenge to your shopping - how low can you go and still feed your family nutritious meals??

If you only take your cash to the store, and leave the credit cards and checkbook at home, then you can only spend what you have. How easy is that?? You just have to go in with the right mindset - think of it as a challenge! Go with a list and know what you need, and then only buy what you need and/or can afford.

A debit card is NOT the same thing, even if you think it is. Only cash can completely limit your spending, and if you're serious about sticking to your budget, then get serious about cash. See what you can get with the money that you have. You won't be able to go over budget since you are carrying what you can spend, so you will be acutely aware of every penny you spend. This might even help keep your purchase healthier. You might not be able to get that half gallon of ice cream, or those yummy-looking donuts, or even a candy bar at the checkout. If you can't afford the junk food, your body will thank you!

It won't be an easy transition, but cash spending will be a great benefit to you and your budget. Give it a try for a month and see how you do. You just might be pleasantly surprised!

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 7

2009-07-27T21:40:00.004-05:00

Here's another tip from my Post article:

When a food item you use often is at the lowest price you've seen, stock up! If chicken breasts drop to $1.49 a pound or your favorite macaroni and cheese mix is offered for $.25, buy as much as you can afford. Review the grocery ads every week and look for rock-bottom prices.

Every week, grocery stores have what is commonly called "loss leaders." These are the items that the store is offering to you at their cost or below. The idea is to bring you into the store to get these amazing deals, and while you're there, you will purchase the rest of your grocery needs. However, as the savvy shopper that you are (or are becoming), you won't fall into this trap, will you?

As you look at the ads, note these items that are at rock-bottom prices. I've seen boneless, skinless chicken breasts for as little as $1.17 a pound, 4-pound bags of sugar for .99, pork loins (sliced to your specifications free) for $1.28 a pound, and many other similar deals. If something is at the lowest price you've seen (or seen in some time), you should stock up on as much as you can afford and can use between now and the time it goes on sale again. You might not need 20 lbs. of chicken breasts right now, but maybe that will supply you with chicken breasts for the next 2-3 months!

What I generally do is keep a list of the items that I need to keep my kitchen stocked, as well as any ingredients I need for the week's menu plan. I assess how much I need to spend on those items, and then I take what is left of my budget and decide how much of the bargains I can buy. Recently, chicken breasts were $1.48 a pound. I found that I had $13 available in my budget to spend on the chicken, so I bought 5 packages that added up to $12.98. I won't use all 5 packages this week, but that will give me chicken for several meals. This week, I've spent a little money (though not much) on Kool-Aid. It is on sale at my local HyVee store for .05 a packet, and I have managed to acquire 4 of the coupons for "Save $2.00 on sugar with the purchase of 10 Kool-Aid packets." So by spending a total of $2.00 on Kool-Aid packets, I've managed to get 40 packets of Kool-Aid AND 16 lbs. of sugar. All that for $2?? That's a deal! I've also bought several containers of Dannon yogurt. It's on sale 10/$1.90 at HyVee, and I have $1/10 coupons - so .90 for 10 yogurt. Deal!

The basic idea is to have a constant supply of food on hand, and have it all have been very inexpensive. If you have coupons that match up with the rock-bottom prices, you will do even better with your budget! And then when things get a little tight, you can probably cut the amount you spend on food for a time without feeling the pinch - you will have a nicely supplied kitchen and a generous stockpile. This month, I've cut my spending to $50 a week, and I've been doing fine, and still taking advantage of the best deals.

I do tend to go to a couple of different grocery stores to pick up the loss leaders, but I know that isn't something many people want to do, or have time to do. If this is the case, you can take your grocery ads to Wal-Mart SuperCenter OR SuperTarget for an ad-match. Unless it's a brand specific to your grocer, you can get all the deals in one location. I don't have a SuperTarget close enough to me (it's less gas for me to go to 3-4 stores than drive 30 minutes to it!), and I hate shopping at Wal-Mart, so I prefer to visit the stores. I especially like HyVee because they are so friendly there! My Price Chopper is extremely unfriendly, especially when you try to use coupons, but I do go there for loss leaders. I enjoy knowing that they didn't really make a profit from my visit. :-D Yep, I'm a little warped!

It's not easy to change how you shop in order to stockpile like this, but even a few dollars a week can save you lots in the long run. I won't be buying sugar for some time with the deals I've gotten this week, and I'm very well supplied with chicken breasts and lovely pork chops. By buying items at their lowest prices, we eat VERY well on less in a month than a lot of people spend in a week! You can, too

Have you gotten any great deals lately that made you stock up?? Tell us about them....

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 6

2009-07-24T21:44:00.004-05:00

Today's tip is one that I already discussed in Episode 4 when I talked about buying in bulk, so I will just add a point or two.

Check your grocer's bulk bins. You might find that products such as oats, nuts, grains, and many other items are considerably less expensive when you bag them yourself. I purchase all of my spices at bulk rates and pay much less!

The main thing I want to add to what I said earlier is look around whenever you're out shopping. Recently we were at the City Market in downtown Kansas City. We wandered into a cute little kosher shop because it appeared busy and we were curious. I found that their store was full of bulk items! A lot of it was nuts and trail mixes and the like, which was still too high per pound for my budget, but further into the store, they had spices and seasonings, and a few other odds and ends. The spices were the unbelievably low price of $1 for a good-sized scoop! They had many selections available, and the fragrances were fantastic. We even found some very interesting spice blends, including Arabian spice. I have no idea what is in it, but it smells wonderful, and we bought one scoop because we just had to try it. I never would have imagined I would find spices cheaper than my favorite bulk-spice shop, Planters Seed, but there they were! I only went in there due to curiousity, and I'm glad I did.

I used to think that only health-food stores carried bulk bins, but in looking around my usual stores, I have found that they all have some sort of bulk, particularly in their own healthy eating section. I am not able to buy a lot of my grains and such in bulk, but I know some stores carry extensive bulk bins. If your store is one of those, definitely check them out! I have read blogger's tales of great deals in these bins. You might also get to try things you wouldn't have otherwise. Perhaps you've never had farina or quinoa. You can buy just enough to make it once and see how it goes over. If it's a hit, then you can get more. If it isn't, you haven't wasted money on a full package.

Give bulk bins a chance. It's always a good idea to explore all of the money-saving options offered at your grocery store!!

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 5

2009-07-24T12:53:00.005-05:00

I know I've been a bit inconsistent in discussing these tips. Sorry about that! I've really got to stop letting life get in my way of blogging! :-) Today we'll talk about WHERE to shop.

Shop for your basics at a "no frills" grocer, such as Aldi. You can get great deals on items like milk, sugar, pretzels, chips, cheese, and other items you use frequently. You won't find name brands here, but the store will most likely guarantee the quality of your purchases.

If you've never been to Aldi, you should definitely check them out if they are in your area. Use the locator at http://www.aldi.us . Every Aldi I've visited is clean and well-organized. They don't carry name brands on a regular basis, but their products are all of great quality. They do guarantee every product. I've only bought one thing that we hated (it was a weird German bread that tasted terrible), but I have had them replace defective items. Not too long ago I bought a can of pan spray that leaked. I talked to a manager and received a new can...no questions asked! It was easy and they were very friendly about it.

Some of the items I buy regularly at Aldi are chips and pretzels ($.99 to $1.29 a large bag), honey ($3.79 for a big bottle), flour and sugar (always cheaper than the regular grocery store), milk, sour cream, plain yogurt, rice, pasta, and lots of produce! They carry products that most people use every day, so you won't find too many fancy items; however, they do carry some of these things on Special Purchases. Every week they have certain things that they offer for a limited, while it lasts, time. They might have Italian specialties, or Mexican foods, or Asian cuisine. They also have non-food items in their purchases, so you never know what you will find. Their ad is usually in the paper, or you can find it at their website. You can even sign up to receive the ad each week in your email.

Aldi doesn't have a lot of "extras" so they can keep prices low. You have to put a quarter in the cart to use it (but you get it back upon returning the cart), they don't give you bags (you can buy them for .06 for paper or .10 for plastic), and they don't bag your items for you. They will move them from the conveyor belt to a cart, and then you're on your own. They also only accept cash or a debit card to avoid heavy fees on charges and bad checks.

If you don't have an Aldi, you might have another store that is similar. I know Save-a-Lot is another store similar to Aldi. I've found that their prices tend to be just a little higher since they will bag your items and do accept checks and credit cards. They also have a website at http://www.savealot.com where you can view the ad. Those are the only two stores of which I am aware, but I am sure there are others...if you know of them, please share the information in comments. I've never lived anywhere but the midwest, so I'm only familiar with what we have here.

The way that I do most of my shopping is I keep a list on the side of my refrigerator with staples that are low or out (usually I write them down when they are getting low). Each Wednesday, I review the local grocer ads and write down what items are on sale for rock-bottom prices at the stores I visit. If something on my list is on sale for a price that is less than Aldi's regular price (I do keep track), I will purchase it at the store and take it off my Aldi list. I visit Aldi about 3 times a month for my basic supplies.

I know some folks swear by the prices at Wal-Mart, but beyond the fact that I can't stand even walking INTO my local store, I have found that prices tend to be less at Aldi. They're even cheaper than Sam's Club on a lot of things!! If you don't have a no-frills store near you, then Wal-Mart might be your best bet. The only perk of which I can think in shopping at Wal-Mart for your basics is that you can ad-match the grocery store ads and get everything in one place. Of course, if your store is like mine, asking for an ad match is grounds for the cashier to treat you like a thief. Good luck to you!! :-)

Where do you get your basic staples? Share your strategies to save all you can!!

Recipe Blog Hop

2009-07-21T19:25:00.003-05:00

I'm trying my very first Blog Hop! Should be interesting to see if it actually works! :-)

Don't we all have recipes on our blogs that we love? Post one and join the party!

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 4

2009-07-21T15:24:00.003-05:00

Buy in bulk when it makes sense - examples include yeast, which is very cheap in bulk and can be stored indefinitely in the freezer; flour, which also stores long-term in the freezer; and eggs, which are often less expensive in larger packages. Also, chicken and beef soup bases work just like bouillon cubes, but can be purchased at the warehouse store for a lot less.

I never buy yeast in the packets you get at the store. Instead, I pay a few cents more and get a HUGE amount of bulk yeast. Now, when you look at the warehouse packages of 1 lb. or more, it might seem a bit daunting. I remember wondering if I would ever use that much yeast! But I learned quickly that the huge packages last indefinitely in the freezer with no negative effects. I do bake a lot, but it takes me awhile to go through them. So what I used to do was buy a two-pack at Sam's and share it with a friend - we each paid $2.xx and had enough yeast for quite a bit of baking. Nowadays, I buy it myself. As long as you store it in the freezer, you're good to go!

I also often buy my flour in 25 lb. bags at the warehouse club. I calculated the cost per pound and it's a bit cheaper than what I can buy at Aldi, plus I get bread flour instead of all-purpose flour. If you regularly buy the small 5-lb. bags of bread flour, you most definitely need to look at your bulk options!

Another way that I shop "in bulk" is buying as much as I can of a commonly-used product when it hits a great sale price. Examples might be cereal when I can get it for less than a dollar a box (combining sale and coupons), pasta at a .50 or less a pound, chicken breasts below $1.50 a pound, etc. When I see very low (loss leader)prices, I buy as much as I can afford within my budget constraints. This week I see a great price on chicken breasts, and I have calculated that I can spend $12 on chicken and stay on-budget. Last week I spent $13 on a fantastic deal on lean ground beef. I figure what I need and what that will cost, then divide what is left among the great deals so I can take advantage without breaking the bank.

Spices are something that it almost always cheaper in bulk. There is probably a place in your area that sells spices by the 1/4 lb. or larger, and I've found that it's a much better deal than most grocery store prices on the same spices. Plus, my bulk store is constantly replenishing stock, and I have no idea how long those jars have been sitting on shelves at the store.

A lot of grocery stores have bulk bins, and I know several people who swear by these. My stores don't have great deals in the few bins they offer, but I know some areas have fantastic options. Here, I've found mostly organic/natural products in the bins, and they are priced higher than their packaged counterpart on the shelf. I do occasionally buy these products, but not too often. Check your store to see what is offered in bulk and do your own comparison.

No matter how good of a deal you get, however, if you aren't going to use the product before it goes bad, you haven't saved anything. Be sure you either have good storage options in your house or that you only buy what your household will use in the time that the products are edible. If you have a lot of freezer space, you will be able to take better advantage of sales, but even if you don't, you can still do some bulk buying - you'll just have to be organized with your space.

What do you buy in bulk? Do you find deals online, too? I'd love to hear about it!!

Great Printable Coupons

2009-07-21T15:20:00.002-05:00

If you go over to Simple & Delicious you can print some great coupons from ConAgra Foods! You will have to login/create an account, but you will receive the following 4 coupons for your efforts:

$1 off ONE (1) Chef Boyardee 15-oz can
$.50 off any ONE (1) Peter Pan Peanut Butter
$.50 off any TWO (2) Crunch 'n Munch
$1 off any FOUR (4) Snack Pack 4-packs

Thanks, More Than Cents! :)

A Fun Trip to HyVee

2009-07-21T11:49:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo taken of what I purchased, because most of it was put away downstairs (and the camera is upstairs). Here is a list of what I bought for $15.48:

5 M&M/Mars candy bars - (used free item coupons)
1 lb. HyVee real butter - .94
Roberts OJ 1/2 gallon - .94
4 12-packs of A&W Root Beer - $2.50 each
1 12-pack Diet Mountain Dew -(used free item coupon)
HyVee 15 oz. tomato sauce - .19
HyVee ice cream 1/2 gallon - free w/ A&W purchase
24 oz. Hunt's Ketchup - (used free item coupon)
1 gallon distilled vinegar - $1.78
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks - (used free item coupon)
24 oz. cottage cheese - .94
Glade Lasting Impressions - (used free item coupon)
Mighty Dog canned dog food - (used free item coupon)

Not a bad haul for $15, especially considering that the soda was $10 of that!! The soda wasn't a necessity, of course, but we let the kids have some with dinner on occasion. That amount will last us quite a long time.

I'm looking good this week. I have a list of things I want that are on sale for good prices starting tomorrow. I should be able to stick with only $50 on food this week, which is a good thing!

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 3

2009-07-19T20:49:00.004-05:00

For today's tip, I have some recent examples! :-) Here is the tip as I gave it to the Post:

Look outside the grocery store for cheap prices on food - your local farmer's market is likely to have "drops" or "canners" that are very inexpensive (and still perfectly edible!!), your neighborhood convenience store might have the cheapest milk, and a bakery thrift store you pass every day offers fresh breads at half or less of the supermarket price.

I definitely utilize stores other than my grocery store on a regular basis. I have to admit, the farmers markets near me are extremely expensive, so I do not frequent them. However, the downtown area (which isn't too far) has a huge City Market on the weekends with vendors that offer great deals. In addition, I found an orchard just outside of town that has very reasonable prices on pick-your-own produce. We plan to get a bushel of peaches (48-50 lbs.) that I will can to last us quite awhile, for $35. And on top of the good price, it will be a fun family activity. The kids are very excited about it! If I lived closer to the farm, I could have gotten an even better deal - they had a bit of hail damage, and I was offered a bushel of already-picked slightly damaged peaches for only $25! I sure wish I could have done that, but it would have been so out of the way that I'd have spent $12 in gas to make the trip. I will be in that area in a couple of weeks so it won't cost me any extra in gas then.

Tonight we went to Big Lots, which is an over-runs kind of store. They do have a food section, and often there are very good deals to be had there. Tonight they offered a 20% discount for their email subscribers. I love those sales! We got snacks for the kids, Special K bars, pretzels, and several other food items for less than I can find them at the grocery store on sale.

There is also another store not too far from me where I get some food items. It's technically a thrift store, but they have an entire section of groceries. Some of them are out-dated, but if you look carefully, you will find current products. I've gotten boxes of name brand cereal in dented boxes for $1, Pop Tarts where only the outer packaging was damaged for $1, potato chips for .33 a bag, bottled minced garlic for $1, pudding mixes for .25, and the kids' favorite, Little Debbie Snacks for .50 and .75 a box. There are many other deals, but those are the first ones that come to mind. It takes some looking most days, since I won't buy out-dated products, but I do get some great deals here!

As far as bakery thrift stores, I definitely love those! At the one closest to my house, I get Sara Lee White Wheat bread for .75 a loaf, and it's almost as fresh as the $2 plus loaves at the grocer! They offer a free item from a specific shelf if you spend $5, and often have great sales. The store I used to visit, which was a Dolly Madison that was close to my old house, always had current coupons in a mail publication and every week had something on sale VERY cheap. I love bakery thrift stores, and if you haven't been to one, you must go!

Look around you when you're out running your errands. You never know what you might find. Check out stores to see what they have - I never would have guessed that the thrift store I mentioned above had groceries, but I'm so glad I checked it out. You might pass someplace every day that will help you on your quest to cut your grocery bill. A few minutes might save you a lot of money.

Do you have unusual places you go to save money? Please share!

Menu Plan Monday, Week of 7/20/09

2009-07-19T13:06:00.005-05:00

Last week's menu of new recipes went over so-so. The Drunken Chicken was good and definitely something I will make again. On the flip side, nobody liked the Moussaka, so that one will never grace the table again! I never got to a couple of the new recipes because we were all a bit gun-shy after the Moussaka. :) So some things got changed around a bit. This week, we're sticking with mostly family favorites, and I actually have some links this week! Here we go...

Monday - Honey Lime Chicken, steamed rice, green beans, homemade rolls.

Tuesday - Lasagna, salad from the garden, the rest of the rolls.

Wednesday - Grilled ribeye, baked potatoes, corn, whole wheat banana muffins.

Thursday - Rotisserie style chicken, fried rice, glazed carrots, cornbread.

Friday - Pizza night! I foresee leftover chicken, so it will be Chicken Alfredo pizza on a sourdough crust.

Saturday - Chicken enchiladas (the rest of that remaining chicken), tortilla chips and salsa.

Sunday - Pork Piccata, mashed potatoes, "fried" apples, biscuits.

Cutting Your Grocery Bill - The Series - Episode 2

2009-07-18T20:11:00.004-05:00

Welcome to our second installment in reducing your grocery costs. As before, please add any comments and ideas that you have. This one is about coupons, and I know there are LOTS of shoppers out there with coupon tips and strategies. I'm only going to scratch the surface on this topic, as I know coupons could be a 20-part series in themselves.

Tip #2

Clip coupons - but don't buy something just because you have a coupon! Collect the ones you might use, and then review the sale ads each week and match up your coupons with the sales for the best deals. Combining your coupons with in-store specials can often result in products that cost you little to nothing (or even result in a profit!!).

I have a particular mindset when it comes to coupons. I know people often say things like you should only clip coupons for items you use anyway, but my thought process is.....if this item were free, would I get it? I do actually clip and file coupons, rather than using a whole-insert method because having them filed in my box is the system that works for me. My coupon box is organized by sections of the typical grocery store, so I can pull out one section at a time and see what I have on hand. When deciding which ones to clip, if it's an item that we would use for the right price, I clip it. I'd much rather end up tossing a coupon because the item was never on sale for a good price than wish I had clipped it because I COULD have gotten a deal.

Each week, you probably receive sale ads for your local grocers. Since I've clipped and filed my coupons, I do have some recollection of what I have (though I don't depend entirely on my lousy memory!). As I peruse the ads, I often see items for which I know I have a coupon. Then I go to my organizer, and remove the applicable coupon, and note on my shopping list that I have it. If I'm not sure about an item, I pull that section from my coupon box and see if I have a coupon for a particular item. Once I have pulled all the coupons I know I need, I attach them to my shopping list with a paperclip. If I only find one or two things that aren't great deals or that I don't really want/need, I don't go to that store that week. It might sound a little silly or complicated, but it's an easy system that works for me. I do still carry my entire coupon box into the store with me (after all, better safe than sorry, especially if the store has a Markdowns area), but I like to have handy the ones I know I am going to use.

If you have a store that doubles coupons, you can really get some good deals, but generally only if you're using a coupon on an item that is already on sale. The regular prices at the typical double-coupon store are quite inflated. Still, though, they do likely run great sales and loss leaders, and that's the time to use your coupons and buy as much as you can. If you followed the link above about making a profit, you'll see that I bought several months' worth of pasta on that shopping trip. I didn't NEED that much pasta, but they were literally paying me to take it home with me, so I bought as many as I had coupons. I don't usually have that high of a quantity of a single coupon, but in that case, I had a bunch of the one, so I took full advantage of the deal! Those bargains are so rare that I'm still thrilled about it - and that one wasn't even a double-coupon deal!

I remember a long time ago when I lived in Arkansas....we had a store called Consumers. My friend and I used to get a bunch of ladies together to caravan about an hour away to shop at that store because they occasionally TRIPLED coupons! It was such fun to see those long receipts with the small totals. One of my receipts was about 5 feet long, and my total was about $26. I actually think I STILL have that receipt in my filing cabinet - talk about a coupon high!

At the end of every month, I go through all my coupons and remove the expired ones. I know that these can be sent to the military overseas, but I don't have any information on how to go about doing that. It makes me a little sad to see coupons go to waste, but I would have been happy to have them if the deals had been right. I really do knock a lot off my grocery bill by combining my coupons with sale items - and rebates if I find them. It's a little puzzle that adds up to big savings.

Now how about your tips??? Comment away!!!