Wedding Day

Wedding Day
Enjoy EVERY moment in your wedding gown. You can't stay in it forever...SO UNFAIR!!!!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Green Mountain Coffee Review

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This Friday I was delighted by the arrival of my package of Green Mountain Coffee. Green Mountain Coffee is a brand I fell in love with when I lived in Maine. After I moved from Maine to Rhode Island, I could still get my hands on it, but I was a single mom on a VERY limited budget, and unfortunately I could not fit Green Mountain into my very limited budget. In fact I purchased the darkest roasts I could buy just so I could use very little and still get a good cup.

Time has gone by and I am no longer a single mom and no longer living in Rhode Island. I live in Arizona and though I can get Green Mountain Coffee in the organic section at the grocery store, it only comes in breakfast blend and the like. In other words, I am not going to get flavors. What I wanted was the flavor I fell in love with...Rain Forest Nut.

Enter my friend Monika. While on my very restrictive Hcg diet, my friend Monika told me that I should try Green Mountain's Wild Mountain Blueberry. She insisted that it was so good that I could drink it without cream. That was exactly the kind of coffee I needed. I already knew that I liked other flavors so I decided to look into ordering. I had recently joined EBates (I know, I can't believe I waited so long either), and figured that I would see what kind of return I would get by ordering through them. I think at the time I got 4% back, but truly I am not sure. It is 5% right now though. Either way, it was well worth it. I ordered Rain Forrest Nut



My Review:

My yummy coffee order came in fairly quickly and as I am taking a holiday diet break, I was able to indulge in all the goodness that is Rain Forest Nut AND Wild Mountain Blueberry. Rain Forest Nut has a slight nutty taste with hints of caramel and vanilla and I don't know why but it also kind of reminds me of the taste of a s'more. Not in the chocolate sense, but kind of in the graham and marshmallow sense. Either way, it is delightful! Wild Mountain Blueberry is a treat for the senses. No joke! From the moment you open the bag to when it begins to brew in the coffee pot, you know you are going to be spoiled. You definitely will taste blueberry and perhaps go back into your mind of times when you enjoyed fresh blueberry pancakes, muffins or pie. It is enjoyable with cream and sugar, black or black with a little stevia. My friend Monika was not kidding. It will definitely be my go-to coffee for when I am on a limited beverage menu. I love coffee in the morning, and knowing that I can still indulge without the damage, makes Green Mountain Wild Mountain Blueberry my treat for the diet weeks.

You may be blessed to pick up Green Mountain Coffee in your stores or you may have to order it like I did. If you do order it, consider joining their Cafe Express. With that plan, they will send you your picks monthly so you don't have to reorder or worry about running out, you also get 10% off of your gift pack orders and $1.00 off of your bagged coffee orders, and you get that adorable travel mug you see in my picture. The nice thing about the Cafe Express is that you can push your orders back if you like and it is also TOTALLY FREE to join. :) I chose to do this because of the option to move my order if I need to and because I have ordered their gift sets in the past so that extra 10% off will be nice to take advantage of. Mostly though, I just plan on taking advantage of a little opportunity to spoil myself and my hubby with some yummy coffee.

*This is a review on a product that I love. No compensation whatsoever was given for this review. I just had to share because...it totally rocks. :)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Giveaway At Socrates Cozy Cafe


I got hooked on Cozy mysteries about three years ago, and I am always on the hunt for a new-to-me Cozy author. A great place to find such authors is at Socrates' Cozy Cafe. There are always great reviews and giveaways. If you like a good Cozy, head there now for a review AND giveaway of The Gingerbread Bump-off by Livia J. Washburn.

LINK: The Gingerbread Bump-off

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! And What To Do With Turkey Leftovers


I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am currently waiting on my turkey to roast. So far it has been a lovely morning of enjoying coffee, cinnamon buns, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and some DVR action. :)

I spent this morning cooking, dreaming of yummy food and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I haven't done that in ages (the parade thing not cooking). I have also been thinking a lot about what to do with our turkey leftovers and the first idea came from the parade itself. Well actually it was a little spot sponsored by Pillsbury. The recipe was for Pesto Turkey Squares. My husband and I watched the process completely enraptured and I immediately announced that I HAD to copy this recipe down or better yet, link it to the blog. I always buy extra Pillsbury Crescent rolls so this will be a great way to utilize them too!

We always have plenty of gravy and stuffing leftover, but I use quite a bit of the stuffing to make turkey sandwiches. All in all, you can always get some inexpensive stuffing to make this recipe if you have run low on the stuffing. I was excited, because truly one of the things I always have an excess of is turkey and gravy. I love that I can get another hot meal with this recipe for
Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Casserole from about.com Southern Food.

Honestly, I really wanted a good and simple recipe for a turkey pot pie utilizing leftovers. Leftover veggies are never a big deal. Since there are so many veggie sales during the holidays, I always have some frozen veggies. Again, I am always loaded with excessive gravy so finally, I can bang out a yummy
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie thanks to a recipe from AllRecipes.com and Michelle who submitted this gem.

Had I not been watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, I probably would not have thought of this, but one of the other items that I have in abundance are mashed potatoes. When I was watching a DVR'd episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives I saw one of the cooks make
potato pancakes and then topped it with a pork goulash. Sadly, I couldn't locate that recipe, but I did find a recipe for potato pancakes that I think will work just as well. Maybe I can find a nice turkey goulash recipe too. This recipe came from Cooks.com.

I love pasta salads. I don't know why, but it is one of my favorite things to bring to work for lunch because it is filling and portable. :) I found a wonderful Greek Pasta Salad recipe at Taste of Home. It looks seriously tasty and quite easy too. Winter is the perfect time for soups and chilis. Taste of Home has two wonderful recipes for both.

Because my husband is a chili lover and because the weather is getting colder and colder, I am definitely going to try to make some
Southwestern Turkey Soup. It isn't a chili, but it definitely comes close. The Homemade Turkey Soup recipe looks great too. I think it will be just the right treat to use up those last little bits of turkey that we have hanging on.

And of course I will totally toss all the bones and whatnots into my 7 quart crock pot to make some awesome turkey stock!


Now what am I thankful for?
Seriously, I am thankful for everything. I am entirely blessed. I could definitely count on and on, but that would take entirely too long so I will go with the basics. I am thankful for the relationship I have with God. It is often surprising to me that the creator of the universe would want a relationship with me. Well more than often. Anyway, on to the list. I am thankful for my family, my wonderful son and husband. I am thankful to have a roof over my head, a job in a ministry that I love with coworkers that are kind, warm and focused on being His best. I am thankful for the new refrigerator that I have and for the fact that we were able to save all the food in it by some quick crock pot cooking. I am thankful for the fact that I can turn on the tap and have water. Yes...I am thankful for many simple things, but when you think about it, we have been blessed with many things that others do not have, and truly I am grateful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Josh Wilson Has a Christmas Tour Coming

Okay...I have to just say that I am a big ole nerd and I love Josh Wilson. He is sooo stinkin' talented. Not that "stinkin'" is a great way to describe talent, but dude, seriously. He is pretty awesome. Oh and the love thing, it is all about the music baby.

Josh Wilson has a Christmas tour that you totally should check out if it is in your area. There will be stops in Tennessee, Texas (several which really makes me sad, because I'm in Arizona and I think we are close enough in locale to swing by), Florida, Arkansas, and Kentucky and maybe more. Check out his website for more details here. In the meantime...check out this very cool video.


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Give A Wheel Chair This Christmas

There are so many wonderful ministries out there, and so many ways that we can give. I received an email from Free Wheelchair Mission, and I just had to share the video. Imagine giving a gift of mobility to someone in an impoverished area. Take a moment to watch the video, I guarantee that you will be moved. You can learn more about Free Wheelchair Mission at this Link: Free Wheelchair Mission.

Rejoice! from Free Wheelchair Mission on Vimeo.

Monday, November 21, 2011

I Love Superpoints

I am newly in love. I am in love with Superpoints!

Thanks to Superpoints, I have been able to increase my Amazon credit which will help me with my Christmas and other gift purchases. Here is the skinny in a nutshell.

1 -
Superpoints is network that you can join that gives you more opportunities to win amazing prizes for doing the kinds of things you probably are doing already.

What are they?
Take Surveys
Check Your Email (yep they send you points via email)
Watch Videos
Do Special Offers
Click the SuperLucky Button (When you join and complete your account details, you will have the chance to hit the SuperLucky button 30 times, as you get more friends to sign up, you get more button clicks up to 100 times. Each click will get you the chance to earn points.)
Earn When Your Friends Earn (When you invite friends and they become members, you will get points when they get points).


The points add up really nicely, and you can turn them in for all kinds of great prizes like Paypal cash, Amazon gift cards, Best Buy gift cards,Starbucks gift cards, Home Depot gift cards and more. So far I totally LOVE it! Look around and you will see a lot of people love it too. It is another great way to earn something for what you do online. I love having other ways to add to my Amazon credit.



I would love it if you signed up with me. There are some invites below. They are on a first come first serve kind of basis, and totally free. It is well worth signing up.


Here are some referrals. 


http://superpoints.com/wrpgs/b3do1e (25 Points)


http://superpoints.com/wrpgs/v0wv33 (this one is for 50 points) **GONE

http://superpoints.com/wrpgs/wkaaa4

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Christmas Is Coming! A Fave Song with a new Twist

Christmas is on its way. Yes, I know that we have Thanksgiving to battle through first and of course Black Friday, but it is coming, and I am soooo excited. One of the things I am excited about is the Christmas songs that will be playing on our station. I love, love Christmas songs. I love Christmas time. I love the way people are generally pleasant to be around. I love decorations. I love shopping. I love watching the lighting of the Christmas trees in the town square. I love that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth! God came into the world in the most humble manner in the most delicate and vulnerable way. Profound man. Profound. Anyway, I really just wanted to highlight one of my new favorite Christmas songs. Tenth Avenue North's version of "Deck The Halls."


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise by Joyce Magnin A Review



(In full disclosure this is a referral link.)

This book was a free download for Kindle and Nook which is why I grabbed it. I love the free book offerings for both the Nook and the Kindle, because they give me the opportunity to try an author that is new to me. This usually ends up with my purchasing books by that author (funny thing about me is I do not purchase ebooks I only purchase book books right now anyway). This is not to say that I grab every free book that I see. There are still a lot of things that go into even a free purchase:

The First Grabber : The Cover - Seriously who can pass up a cover with a totally awesome retro trailer? Not me! Part of this could be because I totally would LOVE a retro trailer.

The Summary: This is the summary from Amazon -
Newly widowed Charlotte Figg purchases a double-wide trailer sight unseen and moves to the Paradise Trailer Park with her dog Lucky. Unfortunately, neither the trailer nor Paradise are what Charlotte expected. Her trailer is a ramshackle old place in need of major repair, and the people of Paradise are harboring more secrets than Bayer has aspirin. Charlotte's new friend Rose Tattoo learns that Charlotte played softball and convinces her to rally the women of Paradise into a team. Reluctant at first, Charlotte warms to the notion and is soon coaching the Paradise Angels. Meanwhile, Charlotte discovers that the manager of Paradise, Fergus Wrinkel, abuses his wife Suzy. Charlotte sets out to find a way to save Suzy from Fergus and in the process comes to a difficult realization about her own painful marriage.

Now the summary didn't full on grab me. To be honest I was thrown by the name of her friend being Rose Tattoo. That just seemed a little oddball. Still starting fresh in a new place has always appealed to me.

Reviews - There were many positive reviews and some that thought maybe the book was a little unbelieveable. If I wanted full-on believeable, I really probably wouldn't read a book in the first place.

Price - You can't argue with free.

My review - I read Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise primarily while working out at the gym. This book got me through HOURS of the ellyptical trainer, and it truly made the time fly.

Charlotte definitely does some things that you wouldn't expect a person to do. After the death of her husband, she pretty much starts all over. It is kind of odd to think of someone selling their home and moving away to a trailer park, but when life bowls you over with widowhood and you find a life insurance policy that can keep you going, why not start fresh? Besides, Charlotte had a wonderful new companion to take with her on this adventure in her adorable found pup Lucky.

The trailer Charlotte purchased by picture alone indeed isn't the sweet trailer she thought she bought, but she gets encouragement from Lucky and a few of her new neighbors. As the story goes on, Charlotte warms to the trailer and her new surroundings. As the story went on, I warmed more and more to them myself, and even thought how lovely it would be to reside in a place like that. There are bumps along the way, and many interesting neighbors to meet. All in all Charlotte fell in love with Paradise and so did I.

All in all, Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise is a light and sweet story. It is like a cozy mystery without the mystery, and I absolutely just loved it. In fact, I loved it so much that I purchased another of Joyce Magnin's books called "The Prayers Of Agnes Sparrow." I haven't started it yet, because I am reading another book right now. But I will definitely read it soon, and if I like it, I can guarantee I will purchase another book by this author. It was a nice escape to a story with characters that I grew to like and want to know more about. I enjoyed it a great deal.

Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise is not available for free right now, but it may happen again. I am glad that it was, because I probably would not have found this book and this author and without that free glimpse who knows if I would have purchased The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow? I enjoyed this little trip into a little mobile home park in a little small town.

Monday, November 14, 2011

THANK YOU SO MUCH!




Thank you so much to Heather from Sweet Deals 4 Moms for the wonderful and timely prize of a fabulous Betty Crocker Prize pack! This package included a package of Betty Crocker's new Molasses cookie mix, Betty Crocker apron (my husband can attest to how desperately I need this when I cook- and actually when I eat), a mixing spoon and a nonstick baking pan. Everything that I really needed with the holidays approaching.


If you haven't dropped by Sweet Deals 4 Moms, I strongly suggest you do. There are lots of great savings deals, reviews and more. And of course if you want some delightfully easy and tasty cookie mixes not to mention cake mixes, check out Betty Crocker for that. :) OOOH and don't forget to check out Betty Crocker's free pdf of The Best of 2011 Fall.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

OOOH Cooking With Cranberries!

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To continue my pursuit of new recipes that I can try once off of my diet, I am going to add the cranberry dishes that have been blowing my mind!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork - I love the idea of combining cranberries with pork, and of course slow cooking is my dream way to cook! This recipe came from Allrecipes.com. I love getting their email updates with fabulous recipes!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
- I truly am a fan of Ocean Spray jellied cranberries, but the idea of making my own cranberry sauce is too good to pass up. Plus can you imagine how amazing this would make the house smell? I can practically visualize the aroma of cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon and orange juice wafting through the house! Oh the joy of slow cooking! Another great recipe via Allrecipes.com!

Mulled Cranberry Cider
- We are doing a Christmas dinner party in Lake Havasu with my family, and I really think that I am going to bring my slow cooker along so I can hook the fam up with this tasty beverage. Again big honkin thanks to Allrecipes.com!

Kielbasa Made Easy - The idea of barbecue and kielbasa is probably bizzaro for right now, because event though I live in Arizona it is getting cold (it has already snowed once here in Prescott). I do want to make this at a later date or perhaps surprise my husband with some summer food when it is really chilly. We could picnic at home in the winter! This came via Kimberly through Allrecipes.com.

Cranberry Crumb Bars
- When I saw the pictures for these yummy bars at Good Life Eats, I knew I had to make these. The recipe is really simple and full of all kinds of good for you things that will knock down a lot of the guilt from eating this treat. Hey, cranberries are only around for a short time anyway.

Quick Cranberry Bread
- When I was in my early teens, I lived with my brother and my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law was an amazing cook and baker. She was exceptionally talented at making zucchini bread, apricot bread and cranberry bread. After all this time, I realized that I have not made one of these. This is truly disappointing to me, because I love a quick sweet bread, but I haven't gone past making my own banana bread. Certainly I am proud of that relatively new accomplishment (it is so nice not having to buy a quick bread mix), but still it is time for me to step it up. So I searched about and finally fell on this recipe by Inger Wilkerson at Art of Natural Living.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- There are many, many good looking cranberry oatmeal cookie recipes out there. I am sure that they are all quite good. I was drawn to this recipe from My Kitchen Addiction, because they just sounded divine, and from the pics, looked divine as well. :) Oatmeal cookies are a huge favorite of mine, because you can quite often replace breakfast with a couple of these gems.

Layered Cranberry Salad
- This little gem is perfect for an afternoon lunch. I personally think I am going to freeze myself some cranberries so I can make this when the weather gets warmer. It is a chicken salad and cranberry salad together. I found this recipe at yummly. I was drawn to another recipe first, but it had cream of chicken soup in it, and that just made no sense.

Individual Cranberry Trifle
- This recipe came from Taste of Home recipes. I like that you can make just as many or a few as you would like. A restaurant out here called BIN 239 used to have this amazing trifle dessert. It really turned me on to the whole trifle thing. Sadly it doesn't offer trifle on the menu anymore so again it is time for me to learn to do it myself.

I am excited about the opportunity to start trying my hand at these recipes. I hope that they may be a help to you as well.

Friday, November 11, 2011

It Is Simple - Thank You

In November, I focus a lot on what I am thankful for. There really are so many things, but one thing I want to share today is how thankful I am for our men and women in the military. I was blessed to be born in a country where people have a choice to defend our country and others. People who have a kind of courage that is impossible to fathom for those of us who are not in their shoes. I am so grateful to these men and women who give so much for really so little in return. I also am so thankful for their families who also so bravely and unselfishly support their family members who are serving us. They are true heroes as well.


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Thursday, November 10, 2011

A Few More Ways To Save

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FABULOUS WEBSITE


This weekend, my husband and I watched a bunch of little videos about money saving. This introduced me to a website that I had never been to before. I really liked it and I think you will do. Check out DailyFinance.com. Daily Finance has some great articles and information on many aspects of finances from the headscratchers to the simple home finances. There are lots of great articles too. In fact I read a cool one the other day on people who are hiring themselves out as Black Friday shoppers. Considering how early some stores are now opening, this could be a great way for someone to earn a little extra money if, of course, they enjoy the chaos of Black Friday shopping (which I do but I am definitely not looking into renting myself out). Check that article out here. Are you trying to figure out if college is a viable decision in this financial climate. Check out Daily Finances article How to Go to College Without Going Broke (and Yes, You Still Should).



FREEBIES

Last week I posted some freebies for the military and veterans so be sure to check out that blog. This week I have a few more to add so let's get to that real quick.

Arby's has a free classic roast beef sandwich for all military and veterans on Veteran's Day which in case you don't recall, November 11th. Not a veteran? Sign up for Arby's Extras and get a free roast beef sandwich with the purchase of a beverage for just signing up?




LINK: Arby's Extras

7-Eleven stores will thank all active, veteran and retired military members and their immediate families with a free small slurpee from 11am to 7pm on November 11th. Proof of current or former U.S. Military service is required. Remember that this is at participating 7 Elevens so do ask.

LINK: 7 Eleven Free Slurpee on Veteran's Day

Heading to California? Knott's Berry Farm is hosting military tribute days from November 1st to the 24th. Veterans will get free admission for themselves and one guest and up to six more tickets for $17 each! Proper military ID must be presented.

LINK: Knott's Berry Farm

Oh and a little bird told me that the Olive Garden restaurant they visited recently also told them that they would have free dinners for Veterans. They didn't have a lot of details so call your local Olive Garden to see if they are participating.

Sign up for Del Taco's Raving Fan EClub and you will get two chicken soft tacos as well as a FREE shake on your birthday. This sound exceptionally wonderful to me right now.

LINK: Del Taco Raving Fan EClub

FREE EBOOK COOK BOOKS

Recipe Lion has a great FREE eCookbook available right now 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes and Fall Craft Projects eCookbook.

LINK: Recipe Lion Cookbook


Follow the link below for the Best of Betty Crocker Fall 2011 Cookbook. Download while you can or print it up.

LINK: Best of Betty Crocker Fall 2011

Fall and Winter are great times for soups and stews. Betty Crocker also has a great Soups, Stews and Chilies cookbook with lots of great crock pot recipes too. This is through NxtBook.com.

LINK: Betty Crocker Soups, Stews and Chilies

FREE MUSIC

Sign up with FreeCCM and get some great free downloads. Available now are songs by Chasen, The Choir, Andy Cherry, Sara Groves, Phil Wickham, Shane & Shane, Heather Williams and Derek Webb.


LINK: Free CCM Free Christian Music

GIFTS YOU CAN MAKE

Every week, I have put some focus on gifts you can make. This week I am going to be a little self serving with this list. I have been in the process of saving those plastic Kool Aid tubs so I can fill them with different nut gifts. Here is a list of some amazing recipes I found.

The Union Square's Cafe Bar Nuts - This recipe involves mixed nuts with a great combo of fresh rosemary leaves, cayenne pepper, dark brown sugar and unsalted butter. I can taste it already! I picked up this recipe from Food Network.

Spiced Mixed Nuts - Again use mixed nuts (raw) to make a fabulous spicy mixed nut treat for giving. I found this awesome recipe at Real Simple.

Sweet and Sassy Nuts
- These treats have a little sweet and a little spice with cumin, cinnamon and chipotle chili powder. This comes from one of my faves Good Housekeeping.

Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts
- You may be thinking "What is with the spice obsession?" It is simply that a little sweet really gets set of great with a little kick. You definitely want to look into this amazing mixed nut recipe from the Smitten Kitchen.

Coffee-Glazed Nuts
- Do you know someone whose eyes glaze over with delight at the mere idea of coffee? This could be the gift treat for them. I found this simple recipe at NestleMeals.com.

Butter Toffee Nuts with Sea Salt - This is a fave of mine. I love anything with even a hint of toffee. I was thrilled to find this recipe at Oprah.com.

Chocolate Covered Caramelized Nuts
- I can't even imagine making nuts without including some chocolate covered goodies. This recipe calls for either Brazil nuts or almonds. You definitely want to use a larger nut which you will see as you read the recipe. Oh, I found this recipe at About.com Candy.

Gourmet Chocolate Covered Nuts - I like this recipe because it involves a crock pot. You still have to watch it of course, but still that is definitely a favorite cooking item in my home. The recipe also is for six pounds! You have to love that kind of yield. I found this also at About.com, but this time under desserts/baking.

Chocolate Covered Pecans - Pecans are one of my favorite nuts. This recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy cream. Both items are on sale like fury during the holidays. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com.

Norwegian Candied Nuts
- I debated putting this up here. I want to make this recipe because I am part Norwegian. I told myself that if I could spell Norwegian at this hour (it is 12:21 AM as I type this), I will add the recipe link. It looks relatively simple, and from what I have read when hunting this recipe down, it is quite delicious. I got this particular recipe from recipegoldmine.com, but I found the same one EVERYWHERE. Seriously, just goodsearch it, and you'll find it.

Jalapeno Nut Mix
- I am a sucker for jalapenos. One of my favorite treats is jalapeno popcorn that I get at Treats in town. Because of this love, I HAD to search for a jalapeno nut recipe. This one sound quite good and comes from Recipes.com and it looks like they got it from Southern Living.


GROCERY DEALS

The following is just a smattering of some of the deals that caught my eye:

SAFEWAY

Assorted Pork Loin Chops, Bone-In $1.99 lb
Hass Avocados 2/$1
Select Varieties of Campbell's Condensed Soups 99 cents
Arm & Hammer Liquid Dertergent 60.5 to 75 oz 1/1 Free (save up to $5.99 when you purchase 2)
Blackberries or Raspberries 5.6 to 6 oz 2/$3
Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit 2/$1.00
Jumbo Yellow Onions 2/$1.00
Flier Coupons- C&H Granulated Sugar $2.49 (limit 2)
Flier Coupons- Nestle Baking Morsels 11-12oz $1.399 (limit 2)

FRY'S

Jennie-O Grade A Frozen GTurkeys 59 cents lb (limit 1) with additional $25 purchase
Farmer John or Bar S Bacon 12 oz $1.99 each (limit 2)
California Navel Oranges 88 cents lb
Sara Lee Bread, Select Varieties 99 cents (limit 2)
Fry's Gallon Milk, Vitamin D, 2%, 1% Low Fat, NOnfat Gallon $1.57 (limit 2)
Satsumas Mandarins 5lb bag $3.99
Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc or Red Pears 88 cents lb
Cooks Smoked Shank Half Ham $1.27 lb (limit 1)
Romaine, Red or Green Leaf Lettuce 96 cents
Bunch Celebry $1.18
Gala or Fuji Apples 99 cents lb
Kroger Brown or Powdered Sugar 2lb 3/$5
Kroger Flour 5lb Select Varieties $1.89
Libby's Pumpkin 15 oz Can $1.99
Kroger Breakfast Sausage 16 oz Roll, 12 oz links or Patties, 8-9 oz Fully Cooked 2/$6
Mom's Best Natural Cereals 3/$4 (These Rock!)

Buy 10 Save $5 (There are quite a few of these deals. These were my faves.)
Annies Natural Macaroni & Cheese 69 cents
Kroger Salad Dressing Select Varieties 99 cents
Cool Whip 8 oz 99 cents
Lipton Recipe soup Mix 2 count 99 cents

ALBERTSONS

Red Seedless Grapes 75 cents lb
Broccoli Crowns 69 cents lb
Doritoes 11-11.5 oz 1/1 Free (save $4.29)
93% Lean Ground Beef $2.29 lb
Boneless Pork Loin in Bag $1.97

10 for $10

Albertsons Cereal 11.8 to 20 oz
Oats 18 oz
Albertsons Hot Chocolate 8-10 count
Hunts Spaghetti Sauce 26-26.5 oz
Hunts Diced Tomatoes
Davinci Pasta 16 oz
Progresso Vegetable Classic Soups 18-19 oz
Banquet Value Meals 5-10.25 oz
Chef Boyardee Pasta (Select Varieties) 7.5-15 oz
Roma Tomatoes 99 cents lb
Hass Avocados 99 cents each

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Recipe Reminders

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Every now and then when I am blog hopping, I find a recipe that I love. Sadly, I often forget where it was. I have tried to get in the habit of printing it up or posting it to my blog so I can try it later.

I am on the hCG diet right now so this saving idea is even more critical. There are tons of recipes that I want to try but because of diet protocol, I can't. So this is my attempt to save some serious yummy looking treats. Right now I seem to be very focused on sweets. I really think that this is due to being on the hCG diet. I don't mind. The results are worth it, and finding tasty recipes helps me realize that it isn't forever.

Don't look for pictures. They will be at the lovely sites that I found these recipes at. It only seems fair to take you to where the yumminess (probably not a word) is. Of course I will be typing these up one of these days or printing them and putting them in my recipe book. Just in case.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Pudding
- It is fall and that really makes me crave yummy, warm pudding treats. If I can make it in a crockpot, it is a slam dunk. This is why I had to make note of this fabulous recipe which I found when perusing Mummy Deal$.

I also found a similar recipe on Food.com

Pumpkin Crunch - I honestly cannot pass up a recipe with CRUNCH in the title. This is an oven recipe, but can you imagine how amazing your house would smell while cooking this treat? I'll have to imagine for now, but come December...it is ON!!!!! I found this one again at Mummy Deal$.

I found a similar recipe at AllRecipes.com

Easy Pepper Chicken - The ingredients are so simple that, this recipe is just what the doctor ordered for our family. It looks incredibly easy, and I think I can make a crock pot recipe out of it. I picked this one up from Feisty Frugal and Fabulous and can't wait to give it a shot.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - I am obviously missing treats, because the instant I see a tasty treat recipe, I am all over it which is why when I found this recipe from Rachel of the blog Simple Girl, I squealed in delight (just ask my cat). I am so thankful to The Frugal Girls, because I wouldn't have found Rachel's great blog or her yummy recipe had they not highlighted it themselves.

Peanut Butter Gingerbread Cookie Ball - These look absolutely amazing. I found the recipe for these tasty treats at Tammy's blog Three Different Directions. It is simple, no bake, and it is quite possibly a good gifting treat too.

Pumpkin Pie Dip - This fabulous looking recipe comes from Taste of Home. I was drawn to the idea of something yummy to dip some gingersnaps in or even vanilla wafers.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Saving Tips

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Veteran's Day is coming up on November 11th. I thought it would be nice to share what some companies are doing for Veterans this year. I also have some freebies to share and some crafting tips for presents you can make for Christmas.

Famous Dave's - On November 11th, Famous Dave's in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Peoria are participating in a Veterans Appreciation Day "to thank all former and current military personnel for their dedication and commitment to our country." Here are the details from their website:

"Two Meat Salute - choose two different meats served with corn bread muffin, corn-on-the-cob and your choice of one side."

LINK: Famous Daves

Subway – Call ahead on this one, but participating Subway restaurants will be offering a free six inch sub or flat bread on November 11th. Military ID or proof of service is required.

Outback Steakhouse - Outback Steakhouse Free Blooming Onion- Veterans & Service Members Nov 7-11

From their site: "We are honoring Veterans and Active Military all week long with a FREE* Bloomin' Onion and a Coca-Cola from November 7th-November 11th."

*The FREE Bloomin’ Onion® and Coca-Cola® promotion is open to Military Personnel who have one of the following forms of identification on November 7-11, 2011: U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), Veterans Organization Card (i.e., American Legion and VFW), DD214 Certificate, Veteran Identification Card (VIC), Photograph in Uniform or Wearing Uniform. The FREE beverage will be customer’s choice of any Coca-Cola® product.

Help spread the word and invite your friends and family.

http://outback.com/companyinfo/veteransday.aspx

http://outback.com/restaurant/locations/

Chili’s – Chili's offering free meal for veterans & active service, Friday, Nov. 11.

Chili’s is offering all military veterans their choice of one of 6 meals.

* Any Lunch Combo
* Margarita Chicken Tacos
* Santa Fe Wrap
* Oldtimer w/ Cheese
* Margarita Chicken
* Chicken Crispers
* Cobb Salad


This offer is available during business hours on November 11, 2011 at participating Chili’s in the U.S. only.

Dine-in from limited menu only; beverages and gratuity not included.

Veterans and active duty military simply show proof of military service.

Visit their website to find locations.

Applebee's -Free Applebee’s Signature Entrée for Veterans & Active Military on November 11, 2011
http://www.applebees.com/menu/vetsday

Available during business hours on November 11, 2011 at participating Applebee’s only. Dine-in from limited menu only. Beverage and gratuity not included. Veterans and active military simply show proof of military service.

Find a location near you:
http://www.applebees.com/locations

Golden Corral -The 10th annual Golden Corral Military Appreciation dinner will be held on Monday, November 14, 2011 from 5 pm to 9 pm in all Golden Corral Restaurants nationwide.

http://www.goldencorral.com/military/

Denny's - I got this in email this information this afternoon via email (this is why it is a great idea to sign up with restaurants). Veterans are invited to stop at Denny's on 11/11/11 from 6 am to 2 pm for a free Original Grand Slam breakfast. This is free for active, non-active and retired military personnel. In Arizona this is available in Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Holbrook, Kingman, Page, Payson, Prescott, Show Low, Tuba City, Wickenburg, Williams, and Winslow.



Krispy Kreme – Free doughnut. Some participating Krispy Kreme stores are offering a free donut to active-duty, retirees & veterans on Friday November 11th.

Be sure to call ahead to verify your local Krispy Kreme is participating.

McCormick and Schmicks Seafood Restaurants - McCormick and Schmicks Seafood Restaurants are having a Veteran's appreciation on November 13th. The one in Scottsdale is participating here in Arizona. Veterans will be able to choose a complimentary lunch or dinner entree from a special menu. They highly recommend that you make a reservation for this event. Here are the details from their site:

"The McCormick & Schmick's Veterans Appreciation Event is offered at participating restaurants to veterans defined as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.

Veterans must present proper identification. Examples include: VA Card, VFW Card, American Legion Card, discharge papers, DD214 or other Veterans ID. In an effort to accommodate as many veterans as possible, many restaurants will not be able to seat parties larger than six. "

WEBSITE LINK: McCormick & Schmick's
PARTICIPATING LOCATION LINK: McCormick & Schmick's Veteran's Appreciation

Texas Roadhouse - All the Texas Roadhouses are offering our free lunch on Veteran's Day from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm from a select menu. This offer is good for All veterans – including all active, retired or former U.S. military. ID Required.

LINK: Texas Roadhouse

National Parks - Over 100 National Parks will be celebrating with a free entrance fees weekend this November 11th to the 13th.

LINK: National Park Free Entrance Fees Weekend

Lowe's - Lowe's will offer all active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military personnel and their immediate family members a 10 percent discount on in-store U.S. purchases made during the Veterans Day holiday. The discount is available Nov. 7 – Nov. 11. This can be applied to available in stock items and special orders up to $5000. Military ID or other proof of service must be given. This is not given on gift cards and online purchases. Supposedly military personnel can get a 10% discount at Lowe's and Home Depot all year round. What I have read is that they do not do this all year round for veterans. Just have that ID. I read a policy at Military.com that said they do it all the time even for them. Go ask at your Lowe's because this could be something to take advantage of all year round.



FREE TREATS FOR ALL OF US

Have you signed up for Chili's email club? If not, sign up now and get a coupon for free order of Skillet Queso and Chips.

LINK: Chili's Free Queso and Chips

I got this in my email this afternoon.

FREE SAMPLES

While supplies last, follow the link below for a free sample of John Frieda's Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner.

LINK: John Frieda Sample

Check out Post-It Notes Necessorize for a free sample while supplies last. When you get to the page click on "Request Sample." You do need to sign up to be a Post-It perks member so if you aren't into that, sorry. I'm one, and it has been pretty awesome so far. While you are there, you can also print a coupon for $1.00 off any Post-It Flag or Tab products (no need to be a member for the coupon).

LINK: Post-It Notes Necessorize

While supplies last, you can sign up for a free Splenda Essentials sample. Splenda Essentials is not just a sweetener substitute for sugar but contains either antioxidants or B vitamins. Kind of like how you can buy OJ with calcium....well if your OJ came in a packet I guess. Follow the link below.

LINK: Splenda Essentials

While supplies last sign up for a free sample of Dove's Nourishing Oil Care leave-in smoothing cream. You do need to sign up or if you are already a member sign in and the request will happen automatically.

LINK: Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave-In Smoothing Cream


Sign up with My Publisher. Right now you can get 10 free personalized holiday photo cards with free shipping. You need to use the code HAPPY10FREE. I have no idea how long this will last, so if you have some great pics that you want to share via a great Christmas card, hurry up! :)

LINK: My Publisher

Sign up at Downy to get a $10.00 coupon book. I have no idea what Downy products are in this coupon book, but I love Downy...when I can afford it.

LINK: Downy $10 coupon book

If you are a Seattle's Best Iced Latte lover, you may want to pick up their $1.50 coupon. This is a coupon for their four pack. You can either print or have it sent to you (by clicking on help). Printable coupons come and go so head on over as soon as possible.

LINK: Seattle's Best Coupon

Get a coupon for 70 cents off of Keebler Mint Creme Cookies by following the link to Coupons.com. You can print these coupons or ask that they mail them (which is what I do because I always get problems when I print - just click the help link). Coupons go fast too so don't wait too long.

LINK: Keebler Mint Creme Cookies Coupon

Taster's Choice has a special offer for two coupons. One is buy one get one free on their single serve packets (which are soooo yummy) and the other is for 65 cents off a purchase. You can print these or have them sent to you (just click the help link). Oh...you do need to sign up with them. If you have signed up for freebies with them before it will be quick. If not, you will need to sign up.

LINK: Taster's Choice Coupons

Parents, sign up now for a free subscription to Baby Talk magazine! I don't know how long this will last so sign up now. :)

LINK: Baby Talk

American Baby magazine is still available now as well so get in on this awesome baby magazine extravaganza!

LINK: American Baby

FREE EBOOKS

Amazon has a great batch of free eBooks just up. If I can find the same at Barnes & Noble or Christianbook.com I will list them.

A Simple Amish Christmas by Vanetta Chapman (AMAZON)

A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling (AMAZON)

Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer (AMAZON)

Love Finds You In Victory Heights, Washington by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss (AMAZON)

FREE MUSIC

FreeCCM has some great downloads this week. You can download songs by The Choir, Andy Cherry, Sara Groves, Phil Wickham, Shane & Shane, Heather Williams and Derek Webb. Don't forget that you need to be a member.

LINK: FreeCCM

CHRISTMAS CRAFT

Last week I found many different craft gifts you can make using your old denim. I have no idea why, but this week I thought about neckties. I head over to Goodwill at least twice a month (usually on the 50% off days), and one spot I always stop at is the neckties. I don't know why exactly. My husband doesn't usually use neckties. I just love them though. In fact I have picked up a few for myself (I like how they accent a t-shirt...go figure). Anyway, in my quest for inexpensive Christmas gifts you can make, this is my latest stop.

1 - Simple Necktie Eyeglass/sunglasses Case - I found this before and shared it as a nice Father's Day gift from the kids. Follow the link for the instructions which I picked up at Family Fun.

2 - Business Card Holder - I personally think this is amazing. If you can sew, you can make a pretty kickin' business card holder out of a necktie. Check out the tutorial from Urban Threads.

3 - Necktie School Bag - This one is adorable, and I am going to see if I can send it my sister-in-laws way. She is a craft queen, and I think she would run with it and make something really special. This tutorial is from Craftbits.com.

4 - Necktie Skirt - I have seen several of these around. Here is a link to a nice tutorial found at Instructables.com by two2blue.

5- Stuffed Necktie Snake - Maybe it is because as a child in the 80s I won a stuffed snake at a fair, but I just had to share this sweet snake toy tutorial. You might actually even be able to use it as a draft blocker for doors. Follow the main link to this stuffed toy project from Dave's Garden. This project was by Jill Nicolaus.

6- Necktie Quilts - Quilts by Kate has a wonderful tutorial for making a lovely necktie quilt.

7- Necktie Coffee Cup Cozy - This cute and pretty much Kelly-proof craft comes from Craftestdummies.com. This is a great way to recycle even the most homeliest of ties. In fact, the homelier the better.

8- Necktie Pillow - You would think that this would be a very masculine pillow, but Carol from Carol Sews has managed to make a gorgeous pillow that would make a lovely gift.