Friday, October 28, 2011

Pots and Pans

So for some reason it seems like everything is about my kitchen, maybe that's because I love being in it now! But there are always things that can be cleaned and fixed up in there. So I found this awesome blog that had this post about cleaning your pans...check this out!


That's totally how my pans look! So what's the recipe to clean it you ask? Easy just baking soda and hydrogen peroxide! Take about 1/4 cup baking soda and pour in the peroxide to make a paste, rub it on the area you wish to clean and ta da!!
I'll totally be trying this out this week cause all my pans could use it and whats the use of buying new ones when I can clean up the old ones I have that work just fine!!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

It's All About the Corn


So I can across this cute idea that it's all about the corn. So for dinner you can have corn on the cob with corn chowder in bread bowls. They bring out the dessert, if you're up for cooking bake a cake...candy corn style. Or as I would do it buy a bag of candy corns:) They head to a corn maze...perfect for this time of year!! Who doesn't love them, you can decided on haunted or not your choice! My choice - NOT!! I get way to many nightmares from those places even though they're fun during!!

Happy Date Night!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Coupon Questions/Policy



So I'd like to know what kind of questions you have about couponing? What are you struggling with? What would you like to learn? Where are you shopping at? Let me know, either e-mail me or comment below...I'd love to hear them all!

I wanted to get you started with the coupon policies...these will be your bibles as you get going. I've had to use mine before and there have been moments that I wish I had a copy on me!! So print the places that you plan to coupon at and have them in your binder when you go...you'll be glad you do in those moments!

Walmart
Target
Smith's - digital coupon policy
Walgreens - for sure...they are sticklers in some places

If there are other places you plan on shopping just head to their web page and search for their policy. I've only listed a few but there are tons!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Halloween Yummies!

I thought since Halloween is coming up I'd share some fun ideas I found for some good food to eat! Cute and creative!!

 

Deviled Eye Eggs
Ingredients
  • 6 large hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tsp. yellow mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Red gel food coloring
  • Sliced black olives
Instructions
  1. Remove eggshells and halve the eggs lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and place in a small bowl.
  2. Mash the yolks and stir in mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, and yellow mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in a few drops of green gel food coloring until the desired color has been achieved.
  3. Place the mixture into a Ziploc® plastic bag, making sure the bag is securely closed. Cut a small hole in one tip of the plastic bag. Fill the egg whites evenly with the mixture.
  4. Use a toothpick and red food coloring to “draw” the veins onto the egg whites.
  5. Garnish with a sliced black olive. Store covered in the refrigerator.

 
Rice Cereal Treat Pumpkins

 
Ingredients

 
¼ cup butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
1 tsp. vanilla
Orange gel food coloring
Chocolate almond bark
Braided pretzel sticks
Pretzel sticks

 
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Add the vanilla. Mix in a few drops of orange gel food coloring until the desired color has been achieved. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in the rice cereal. Mix well with the melted marshmallow mixture.

3. Lay out a sheet of wax paper. Use floured hands to form 2” and 4” balls. Place balls onto wax

paper. Press a braided pretzel stick into the top of each large ball and half of a regular pretzel stick into the top of each small ball to create the “pumpkin stem”.

4. Melt the chocolate almond bark according to the directions on the package.

5. Place the melted chocolate almond bark into a Ziploc® plastic bag making sure bag is securely closed. Cut a small hole in one tip of the plastic bag.

6. Pipe the melted chocolate almond bark onto the pumpkin balls forming faces or words. (Caution: bag may be hot from the melted almond bark!)


MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: ( I love that they have microwave directions!! YES!!)

Microwave butter with marshmallows on high for 2 minutes in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir together. Continue to microwave 1 minute intervals until completely melted.

 

 
So I love how easy these are...just buy the crescent rolls and cut in thin strips and wrap around the hot dogs...what a great tradition to start here!
 
 
Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse 

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small container (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
orange and yellow food color
candy corn (for garnish)

Directions ~

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until fully smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, then milk (or cream). Add vanilla. Continue mixing. Beat about 1 minute on medium to medium-high speed. Fold cool whip into cream cheese mixture, and stir until fully combined.

Scoop about 1/3 of the Cheesecake Mousse into a bowl, and color orange. Color another third of the mixture yellow. Leave the remaining third white. One color at a time (starting with yellow), scoop mixture into a piping bag or large ziploc bag, and squeeze a layer of the Cheesecake Mousse into small dessert dishes of your choice. Repeat with orange and then white Mousse.

Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 1 day) before serving. Garnish with candy corn if desired.
Recipe yields 4 moderate servings or 6-8 mini servings.

 

 
So I was thinking everything is deserts we need to find so side dishes! Check out what i found...awesome!!!

Creepy Peepers Halloween Jell-o

Ingredients:
  • 2 6oz packages of green Jell-O (the large boxes)
  • 2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin (4 envelopes in a box)
  • 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • Water, various portions and temperatures
  • Food coloring pen
  • Pam (or other) vegetable oil spray
 
 
Directions:
1. Bring 2½ cups water to a boil, pour over green Jell-O and stir 3 minutes until dissolved.
2. Reserve 1 cup of this green Jell-O, set aside. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.
3. Pour remaining Jell-O into a greased 9x13 dish and refrigerate.
4. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil on your stovetop. Stir in sweetened condensed milk; stir to incorporate.
5. In a small bowl with 1 cup of cold water sprinkle in 2 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin. Let stand (about 1 minute) to “bloom.” Add ½ cup boiling water. Pour the unflavored gelatin mixture into the milk mixture. Stir to combine.
6. Pour into jelly bean mold, refrigerate.(Use a well-greased, rimmed baking sheet to make the white Jell-O eyes if you don’t have a jelly bean mold)

 
At this point you have a pan of green Jell-O and a pan of white Jell-O in the refrigerator and a cup of Jell-O on the countertop. You will need to go find something to do for at least an hour, probably closer to 2 hours.

 
1. When firm to the touch cut green Jell-O into small pieces. Pop out white eyeballs or use a small circle cutter (cake decorating tip, bottle cap of vanilla, etc.) to cut out white eyes. Add black pupils with a food coloring pen.
2. Layer green Jell-O and eyeballs into small glasses.
3. Remember that cup of Jell-O on the countertop? Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds if necessary and pour over the cups.
4. Return to the refrigerator for 1 hour.

I hope you all are getting excited for Halloween!! Can't wait to whip some of these up!

Tub Time


 
So I'm on a little tub rampage probably because I've had to be giving my daughter a lot lately!! But we found the coolest things ever at Target in the dollar section as you walk in, GLOW STICKS! Can I just saw AWESOME! I loved them, she loved them, they were just so much fun and it came with 15 in a tube so we'll have plenty cause I only used 3 of them and that was just enough. So head to Target and see if you have some as well. I know you can find them at the dollar store as well!! Let me know what you're little ones think of them!!!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Chicken and Stuffing


Sorry it's a little late tonight but we're ran into some health problems around our house, but I'm still here and kickin'!

So I have to confess that I don't really like stuffing but I can eat it this way (the only way!) and I like it, which is good cause my husband loves stuffing. Plus it's a quick easy recipe which are my all time favorites!

8 chicken breast halves, sliced into 1-2" pieces
1 box of dry stuffing
8 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup butter, melted

Lay pieces of chicken in bottom of a 9x13" pan. Lay swiss cheese on top of chicken. Mix together cream of chicken soup with 2 Tbsp of water in a bowl. Spreed on top of cheese. Sprinkle box of dry stuffing mix on top of soup. Drizzle the melted butter on top. Bake uncovered for 1 hr at 350 degrees. Although I find it never takes that long.

If you have a meat thermometer cook until it says 165. We don't have one so I just check the chicken around 45 minutes and it's usually done!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The new and improved!

So if you didn't see my earlier post about my kitchen check it out here. I have happy news that it's finally done and...I LOVE IT! With an added bonus, it stays much cleaner since I enjoy spending time in there:) So I wanted to show you what it looks like and how I did it!



You seriously need to check out the before pictures cause it's a big change!! We were lucky enough to get granite counter tops from my in laws for Christmas last year (Thank you Legacy Granite!). And with the painted cupboards it's beautiful! Now just to paint the wall and it will be complete! So how did I do it might you ask? First I took just one door off and experimented (which I believe is key to loving what you do and not wasting your time on the whole kitchen), let me tell ya I didn't like the first few attempts and it saved me in the long run. Once I figured out what I wanted to do I took off the top doors (I have a two year old that would love to get into everything if I took the bottom off at the same time, so I broke it up and did the top then the bottom.) and sanded them down. Now I do realize I'm blessed with flat doors where as most homes now a days have trim on them...sorry it might be a pain to sand them down but I talked with a painting professional and he HIGHLY recommends sanding first. Then I put a thin coat of white paint (left overs from the previous home owners) let dry and sanded the edges and a little of the top to give it an older look. After, I stained it with a dark oak, I thought for sure it was going to be darker than I wanted until my dad said just try it...loved it!! That was with all the door and drawers. Now with the cupboards themselves I cheated and that's ok with me. I didn't sand...at all! I really didn't want a huge mess of dust all over my kitchen so I just painted a very very thin coat and stained...worked great!! That easy...it did take me all week with two little ones and having to stop and feed every 3 hours but it was so worth it to me!

So I love before and after photos and if you have some send them my way! I'd love to spotlight my favorite!! So send them over! 

Friday, October 21, 2011

Cleaning Your Microwave

So of coarse I find this handy tip AFTER I have already cleaning my microwave. We had a party this weekend so I cleaned it out but maybe it will help with all the stuff in the cracks, worth a shot!


Fill a bowl with water and a dash of vinegar, place in the microwave for 5 minutes and allow the steam so soften the stuck on goodies. Then CAREFULLY (and I mean really carefully, cause water can be known to boil even after being taken out of the microwave and burn you, ouch!) remove the bowl and wipe down the microwave with a damp towel! Ta da and nice clean microwave!

So what are you great cleaning tips? Anything you learned while growing up or just through experience? We'd love to hear them all ( cause really who likes to clean, anything to make it easier would be great!)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Date Night Dreams!


So me and my husband love going to the parade of homes in the rich and fancy areas and dream of what we could like someday! So for this date night pull some books, go online, check out open houses and plan your dream house. You can make it either realistic or out of this world! Have some fun with it! (I think I'll take the bedroom above...a dream I know!!)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

**GIVEAWAY** Who doesn't love giveaways?



So I'm really excited for this part! I love freebies as a lot of you know and that's really how we get a lot of our stuff. So here is the deal, I really want to get this website up and going so we're planning a giveaway for you!! When we reach 25 followers I'll be giving away a gift certificate to Amazon!!! So spread the word...the more we have the more information we can share and learn for each other.
If you become a follower you automatically get enter into the drawing, then if you refer a friend make sure to have them comment on this post and you'll both get another entry!! And for one more extra entry sign up for our e-mail alerts so you never miss a thing! I'm so excited for this and hope you are too!! (We'll also have a bigger giveaway when we reach 50 so keep them coming!)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Giveaway Details...

Make sure to check tomorrow for all the details on our giveaway!!! I can't wait to give this away, it's something I'd want for me and my family for sure!

Homemade Bath Soap Crayons for Kids

Update: we made these tonight and although they were way fun to make together they didn't work how I thought they would. Came out looking like crayons but when you try to color with them it doesn't appear:( we did have fun coloring on my little one, she just laughed cause it was tickling her! She did love chasing them around as they would slip through her fingers:) So maybe just try coloring water and freezing it (a cheaper, quicker way). Enjoy!

I found this AWESOME idea for bath time (here). Although we already love baths this is going to make it so much fun!! I can't wait to whip some up today!!!

Craft supplies you will need:
  • Clear glycerin soap base cut into cubes
  • 3 or more soap color dyes (or food color dyes)
  • Essential oils in your favorite smells (optional)
  • Glass measuring cup for melting soap
  • Spoons for mixing colors and fragrances
  • Ice cube trays or round crayon molds
Craft instructions:
~Separate the soap base cubes; one pile for each soap color dye.
~Have the children place the soap cube for the first color in a glass measuring cup and melt in
            microwave in short bursts.
~Once melted, have the children add soap color a drop at a time, mixing well after each drop until 
            you get the color right.
~Then, add a couple of drops of essential oils and mix well.
~Next, have the children carefully pour the color soap into ice cube trays.
~If you see any air bubbles on the surface of the soap, spray it with rubbing alcohol.
~Have the children repeat the same soap crayon making process with the rest of the colors.
~After that, allow the soap to set until it is firm. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few 
            hours. When the soap is close to firm, feel free to place the soap in the freezer to speed up the
            hardening process.
~When ready, have the children pop the soap crayons out of the trays.


Bath Time!!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Birthday Dinner


So today is actually my husbands birthday but unfortunately he has to work so we celebrated yesterday. We always get to pick what we'd like our birthday dinner to be and two years in a roll my husbands picked the same thing (it could be cause those are the only times I've cooked it...not the healthiest choice but very yummy!). So I'm going to share it with you...it's quick, easy and great to freeze for a quick fix on those nights (we all know those nights when the last thing you want to be doing is cooking dinner!).
Beef Tortilla Casserole
1 lb ground beef
1 (4oz) can chopped olives
1/2 onion, chopped
5-6 buttered corn tortillas
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 lb grated cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 (16oz) can tomato sauce
 
 
Brown beef and onions. Add spices, olives, corn and tomato sauce. Simmer 10 mins. Place mixture alternately in 9x13 pan with tortillas and cheese (1/2 mixture, cheese, tortillas, mixture, top with cheese). Pour 1/2 c water over all. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

I'm Back


I'm so excited to announce that I'm back!!! Now with two kiddos I really feel a desire to make sure I enjoy every moment I can with them especially while they are at these fun stages! So as of Monday I'll be back posting some fun things...what would you like to hear about? I have a few things up my sleeves but do you have something in mind? Remember each day I'll have something new so make sure you keep checking back! Also sign up to get my news letters so you can stay on top of whats going on! Can't wait for the fun to begin!
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