It took me a long time to jump on the swagbucks bandwagon. I wanted to make sure it was legit before I signed up. I don't always do this.. but this time I did. My fears were not warented as this is a legit site.
It works very much like google, in that it's a search engine, but in this case, it pays you back. ...not everytime, but sometimes it awards you swagbucks randomly for websearches. You can earn 1 swagbuck a day by taking the daily poll. It's super easy. they sometims offer swag codes also, they are case sensitive so if you find one, make sure you copy it exactly as it is shown.
You can redeem swagbucks for various things, enter contests, etc. My personal favorite is 450 swagbucks get you a 5 dollar gift card from Amazon.com
Please use my personal reference to sign up.Thanks!!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/miswakko
Another site you can check out is Inbox Rewards. It's filled with a great deal of spam, but if you sort through it, and only do the legit stuff, it is possible to make money. You won't get rich, but it's free money.. how can you not like that. They pay you between .02 and .05 cents per email that they will pay you, and they offer payment for taking surveys and other various offers. Do the surveys and offers with care. They also offer a 10 cent bounty per every coupon you print/ use off their site.. it's sponsered by coupons.com. So, it's like saving an extra 10 cents every time you use a coupon from them.
I have some others, but I need to get the exact websites to share.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
how to "shop" at Walgreens...
Due to popular demand, here is the post on making the most of your shopping at Walgreens.
This works pretty much the same at any of the drug stores (CVS and Rite Aid) as near as I can tell. I've only shopped once at CVS, but did well using hte same strategy. I know very little about Rite aid, but it seems to be the same.
Okay.. I've said it before, but it demands being said again, especially for anyone that hasn't read any of hte previous coupon posts. You need to stockpile coupons!! Subscribe to a sunday paper...you will save enough in coupons that I promise you will cover the cost of your subscription. Some papers demand more than one copy. Usually the first of the month has a proctor and gamble insert.. these are like gold.. and multiple copies should be grabbed. My first P and G insert, I bought a total of 4 papers. I've covered the cost of those 4 (at $2 each, plus my subscription $26 plus $5 in tip for 6 months already! ...actually in my last trip to Walgreens alone!).
I cut out every single coupon, even if I don't think I'll be using it. You never know, and you can always trade it for a coupon you DO want/ need.
It took me several weeks of papers before I started getting really good deals, so don't give up right away. Like I said.. stockpiling is the name of the game! The last 2 weeks have been especially good for me, which would put me at about a month worth of saving coupons before it got really productive.
Ok... so, say you already have the coupons, you were able to scam them out of a relative, you begged the recycling center for their coupon inserts (yes.. people do this), you bought some (yep, you can do this too), a friend gave you a bunch, you won them in a contest (look around.. it happens). or.. maybe you've actually had the coupons, you just didn't know how to use them to the max.. this is where I get to help ya.
Walgreens lets you stack coupons. Meaning you can use one walgreen coupon and one manufacturers coupon (in most coupon blogs, this is known as a Q). This is how you score your BEST deals. Say an item is on sale for 3.00, and walgreens has a coupon in one of their books scattered throughout the store, their coupon book, or their ad for say... $1 off. well, that item is now $2, which isn't all that bad, but if you have a Manufactures coupon as well, for say $1, now that product is only $1...and if they happen to be offering a register rewards, you will either be getting this for the equivelent of free, or making money.
..you are wondering what a register rebate (RR) is, right? It basically functions as a manufactures coupon for your next shopping trip. They expire in a week. Make sure you use them before they expire, or you aren't doing yourself any favors. Let me share a few things about them before I explain exactly how they work. First, They are rung up like a manufacture coupon, so, you have to make sure you have enough items in your order to cover them. 1 "Q" per item in your shopping order. You may need to get some cheap "filler" items to be able to use them. Another thing to note. You cannot use a Proctor and Gamble (P and G) RR on another P and G item. (you will learn they have a HUGE amount of stuff they manufacture).. so fillers tend to be your best friend for P and G RR's. Another thing.. much like coupons, don't expect to walk away with lots of merchandise for pennies right away. A LOT of my savings come from rolled over RR's.
ok.. let me give you an example this week of a RR.
If you have a Walgreen ad at your disposal, peek at it.. see the products that give a price then say -RRs = "like getting it for free".. this is a RR ad. For those of you that don't.. WE'll use the Blistex fruit smoothie chapstick. They are regularly 3.99. This week they are on sale for 2.99 (+ tax). Plus, you get a RR for 3 dollars when you purchase it. So, you can look at it like you are getting it for free..even though you are actually paying for it. ..however.. say you bought something last week that got you a 3.00 RR. You can use that RR from last week to pay for your blixtex, and you now only have to cover the cost of your tax.
You cannot get money back on RR's, or coupons...so if you had a $4 RR from last week, you'd have to find something else to bring your total up to 4 dollars.
I will give you some scenarios you can do to get you started this week to give you max benefits.
If you drink Pepsi products.. an easy one is buy 4 pepsi 12 packs, for 13 dollars (prices do vary, so you may have a different price) then you get a 5 dollar RR, so it is sorta like getting them 4 for $8, or 2 dollars a piece.. not a bad deal.
you can then do a seperate transaction, and buy either the blistex for 2.99 or the airplus mosturizing socks for 3 dollars. and get a 3 pack of dentyne, and use the coupon out of the walgreens July coupon book, located next to the store flyers. you now have 4 dollars worth of stuff. grab 2 cans of Bumble bee tuna, and rip out the coupon from the sales flyer for tuna for 55 cents each. you now have 5.10+ tax worth of product. Use your $5 RR, you will pay 10 cents plus whatever your tax is for all of this. Now, in yet another transaction, you can by whichever on eyou didn't get last time.. the socks or the blistex. Use your RR, and you will only be paying tax. So for under 15 dollars you have: 4 12 packs of soda, 2 cans of bumble bee tuna, a 3 pack of blistex chapstick, 3 packs of dentyne gum and a pair of moisturizing socks.. plus, 3 dollars for your next purchase. See how easy this is?
The first few times I didn't do it like that, I just paid the 40 dollars or whatever my bill came to, and racked up all those RR's for my next order for the following week. So, I basically did the same thing, I just had more out of pocket the first week or so. Some weeks you do really well, some weeks you don't. The scenario I gave you didn't require any coupons from teh newspaper, but you will actually do much better when combining coupons from the paper with coupons from the store.
Hoep this helps!!
This works pretty much the same at any of the drug stores (CVS and Rite Aid) as near as I can tell. I've only shopped once at CVS, but did well using hte same strategy. I know very little about Rite aid, but it seems to be the same.
Okay.. I've said it before, but it demands being said again, especially for anyone that hasn't read any of hte previous coupon posts. You need to stockpile coupons!! Subscribe to a sunday paper...you will save enough in coupons that I promise you will cover the cost of your subscription. Some papers demand more than one copy. Usually the first of the month has a proctor and gamble insert.. these are like gold.. and multiple copies should be grabbed. My first P and G insert, I bought a total of 4 papers. I've covered the cost of those 4 (at $2 each, plus my subscription $26 plus $5 in tip for 6 months already! ...actually in my last trip to Walgreens alone!).
I cut out every single coupon, even if I don't think I'll be using it. You never know, and you can always trade it for a coupon you DO want/ need.
It took me several weeks of papers before I started getting really good deals, so don't give up right away. Like I said.. stockpiling is the name of the game! The last 2 weeks have been especially good for me, which would put me at about a month worth of saving coupons before it got really productive.
Ok... so, say you already have the coupons, you were able to scam them out of a relative, you begged the recycling center for their coupon inserts (yes.. people do this), you bought some (yep, you can do this too), a friend gave you a bunch, you won them in a contest (look around.. it happens). or.. maybe you've actually had the coupons, you just didn't know how to use them to the max.. this is where I get to help ya.
Walgreens lets you stack coupons. Meaning you can use one walgreen coupon and one manufacturers coupon (in most coupon blogs, this is known as a Q). This is how you score your BEST deals. Say an item is on sale for 3.00, and walgreens has a coupon in one of their books scattered throughout the store, their coupon book, or their ad for say... $1 off. well, that item is now $2, which isn't all that bad, but if you have a Manufactures coupon as well, for say $1, now that product is only $1...and if they happen to be offering a register rewards, you will either be getting this for the equivelent of free, or making money.
..you are wondering what a register rebate (RR) is, right? It basically functions as a manufactures coupon for your next shopping trip. They expire in a week. Make sure you use them before they expire, or you aren't doing yourself any favors. Let me share a few things about them before I explain exactly how they work. First, They are rung up like a manufacture coupon, so, you have to make sure you have enough items in your order to cover them. 1 "Q" per item in your shopping order. You may need to get some cheap "filler" items to be able to use them. Another thing to note. You cannot use a Proctor and Gamble (P and G) RR on another P and G item. (you will learn they have a HUGE amount of stuff they manufacture).. so fillers tend to be your best friend for P and G RR's. Another thing.. much like coupons, don't expect to walk away with lots of merchandise for pennies right away. A LOT of my savings come from rolled over RR's.
ok.. let me give you an example this week of a RR.
If you have a Walgreen ad at your disposal, peek at it.. see the products that give a price then say -RRs = "like getting it for free".. this is a RR ad. For those of you that don't.. WE'll use the Blistex fruit smoothie chapstick. They are regularly 3.99. This week they are on sale for 2.99 (+ tax). Plus, you get a RR for 3 dollars when you purchase it. So, you can look at it like you are getting it for free..even though you are actually paying for it. ..however.. say you bought something last week that got you a 3.00 RR. You can use that RR from last week to pay for your blixtex, and you now only have to cover the cost of your tax.
You cannot get money back on RR's, or coupons...so if you had a $4 RR from last week, you'd have to find something else to bring your total up to 4 dollars.
I will give you some scenarios you can do to get you started this week to give you max benefits.
If you drink Pepsi products.. an easy one is buy 4 pepsi 12 packs, for 13 dollars (prices do vary, so you may have a different price) then you get a 5 dollar RR, so it is sorta like getting them 4 for $8, or 2 dollars a piece.. not a bad deal.
you can then do a seperate transaction, and buy either the blistex for 2.99 or the airplus mosturizing socks for 3 dollars. and get a 3 pack of dentyne, and use the coupon out of the walgreens July coupon book, located next to the store flyers. you now have 4 dollars worth of stuff. grab 2 cans of Bumble bee tuna, and rip out the coupon from the sales flyer for tuna for 55 cents each. you now have 5.10+ tax worth of product. Use your $5 RR, you will pay 10 cents plus whatever your tax is for all of this. Now, in yet another transaction, you can by whichever on eyou didn't get last time.. the socks or the blistex. Use your RR, and you will only be paying tax. So for under 15 dollars you have: 4 12 packs of soda, 2 cans of bumble bee tuna, a 3 pack of blistex chapstick, 3 packs of dentyne gum and a pair of moisturizing socks.. plus, 3 dollars for your next purchase. See how easy this is?
The first few times I didn't do it like that, I just paid the 40 dollars or whatever my bill came to, and racked up all those RR's for my next order for the following week. So, I basically did the same thing, I just had more out of pocket the first week or so. Some weeks you do really well, some weeks you don't. The scenario I gave you didn't require any coupons from teh newspaper, but you will actually do much better when combining coupons from the paper with coupons from the store.
Hoep this helps!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
couponing
I've talked about it previously, but I am getting better at it, and understanding it a bit better now. I have discovered I LOVE couponing. It's almost an addiction. How can you not like saving money?! I've saved well over 200 dollars already since I have started couponing the last month.
One thing I have learned.. it takes a while to get to the point where you can REALLY start saving. You need that stock pile of coupons, in order to get the deals everyone is talking about. My pile is finally starting to get to the point where I can see a deal and be fairly sure I will have that coupon they are talking about.
The other thing I have learned.. coupons vary by region and sometimes it gets annoying to discover you don't have the coupon everyone else is talking about. boo.
One last thing.. there are 3 decent to good online coupon sites. Coupons.com, redplum and smart source. play with zipcodes, since they vary by region. some of the ones I use are 77477, 90210, 30303 and 45435. These tend to get me a good variety of coupons. There is a site called inbox.com that seems to be a lot of juky spam, but they do pay you 10 cents for every coupon you redeem...which is based off coupons.com. If you are interested PLEASE let me know and I will give you a referal link to use. :)
A great place to get GOOD coupons is from a companies direct site. Sign up for their newsletters, write to them and give them compliments or concerns when needed/warented.
One thing I have learned.. it takes a while to get to the point where you can REALLY start saving. You need that stock pile of coupons, in order to get the deals everyone is talking about. My pile is finally starting to get to the point where I can see a deal and be fairly sure I will have that coupon they are talking about.
The other thing I have learned.. coupons vary by region and sometimes it gets annoying to discover you don't have the coupon everyone else is talking about. boo.
One last thing.. there are 3 decent to good online coupon sites. Coupons.com, redplum and smart source. play with zipcodes, since they vary by region. some of the ones I use are 77477, 90210, 30303 and 45435. These tend to get me a good variety of coupons. There is a site called inbox.com that seems to be a lot of juky spam, but they do pay you 10 cents for every coupon you redeem...which is based off coupons.com. If you are interested PLEASE let me know and I will give you a referal link to use. :)
A great place to get GOOD coupons is from a companies direct site. Sign up for their newsletters, write to them and give them compliments or concerns when needed/warented.
Friday, June 4, 2010
I love recipes!
As most of you know.. I love finding, or getting new recipes to try. One of my friends sent me this one from allrecipes.com and says it's one of her "all-time favorite" recipes. I LOVE tried and true recipes, they are my favorite kinds.
She likes this recipe using sloppy joe meat instead of taco meat.
I will defintely be trying this as it seems to fall into my no processed food preference :)
enjoy!
1 dish taco bake
Ingredients
Taco Meat Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
Batter:
Mazola Pure® Cooking Spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup masa corn flour OR corn meal
2 envelopes Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup very warm milk (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
3 tablespoons Mazola® Corn Oil
1 egg
Topping:
1 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
1 cup corn chips, partially crushed
Directions
1.Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well.
2.Mix batter ingredients together in a pre-sprayed 9-1/2-inch deep dish pie plate.
3.Top batter with taco meat filling. Pour salsa evenly over meat; sprinkle with shredded cheese and corn chips.
4.Bake by placing in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Footnotes
Recipe Note: If desired, batter may be mixed in a separate bowl. Proceed as directed above. Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 526 | Total Fat: 29.4g | Cholesterol: 105mg
Nutritional Information1-Dish Taco BakeServings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 526
Total Fat: 29.4gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1223mgTotal Carbs: 41.7g Dietary Fiber: 2.2gProtein: 23.6gVIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info
Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database
She likes this recipe using sloppy joe meat instead of taco meat.
I will defintely be trying this as it seems to fall into my no processed food preference :)
enjoy!
1 dish taco bake
Ingredients
Taco Meat Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
Batter:
Mazola Pure® Cooking Spray
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup masa corn flour OR corn meal
2 envelopes Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup very warm milk (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
3 tablespoons Mazola® Corn Oil
1 egg
Topping:
1 cup chunky salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
1 cup corn chips, partially crushed
Directions
1.Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well.
2.Mix batter ingredients together in a pre-sprayed 9-1/2-inch deep dish pie plate.
3.Top batter with taco meat filling. Pour salsa evenly over meat; sprinkle with shredded cheese and corn chips.
4.Bake by placing in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
Footnotes
Recipe Note: If desired, batter may be mixed in a separate bowl. Proceed as directed above. Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 526 | Total Fat: 29.4g | Cholesterol: 105mg
Nutritional Information1-Dish Taco BakeServings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 526
Total Fat: 29.4gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1223mgTotal Carbs: 41.7g Dietary Fiber: 2.2gProtein: 23.6gVIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info
Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
substitutions via tipnut
■Cake Flour Recipe: If you’re running short on cake flour and need it now, here’s a tip for making your own: Add two level tablespoons of corn starch to a one cup measuring cup, then fill with bread flour. Sift three times then use as needed.
■Self Rising Flour Recipe: In a one cup measure, place 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, then fill to top with flour. Mix well and store in an airtight container if not used right away.
■Half And Half Cream Substitute: In a one cup measure, place 3 Tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted butter. Top up the cup with whole milk. You can also use an equal measure of evaporated milk as a half and half cream substitute.
■Buttermilk Substitute: You can substitute 1 cup of buttermilk with the following quick recipe–In a one cup measuring cup, add 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice, then top up the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Set aside for 5 minutes, stir, then use as buttermilk in the recipe.
■Sour Cream Substitute: 1/3 cup milk + 2 teaspoons lemon juice + 1 cup cottage cheese. Process in a blender until smooth.
■Graham Cracker Crumb Crust Substitute: In a pinch you can use crushed corn flakes in place of graham cracker crumbs. Recipe for crust: 2 cups crushed corn flakes*, 1/3 cup melted butter, 2 TBS sugar. Gradually add the melted butter to the crushed corn flakes and sugar. Mix well and press into pie plate (8″ or 9″). Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. *Use the non-frosted corn flakes.
■Chocolate Squares Substitute: 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa & 1/4 cup melted Crisco (Substitution for 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares).
■Soy Sauce Substitute Recipe:: Mix 3 tablespoons molasses, pinch ground ginger, 2 tablespoons Worcester sauce, and a little flour.
■Balsamic Vinegar Substitute:: 1 tablespoon cider vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 TBS balsamic vinegar; or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 TBS balsamic vinegar; or equal amount of sherry or cider vinegar.
■Molasses Substitute: Honey; Dark Corn Syrup; Maple Syrup
■Lemon Juice Substitute: 2 tablespoons lemon juice = 1 tablespoon vinegar
egg substitutes
*It’s recommended not to replace more than 2 eggs per recipe.
■1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 TBS oil
■1 tsp baking powder + 1 TBS water + 1 TBS vinegar
■2 TBS water or milk + 2 TBS flour + 1/2 TBS shortening + 1/2 tsp baking powder
■1 TBS vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda
■2 TBS lemon juice + 1 tsp baking soda
■1 TBS cornstarch + 3 TBS water for each missing egg
■2 TBS arrowroot flour
■2 TBS potato starch
■1 TBS tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water (mix well & allow to gel a bit before using)
■1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
■1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp baking powder
■2 TBS applesauce
■3 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS flax seed (ground)
3 TBS water
■Method #1: Simmer together on top of stove for about 5 minutes until the consistency reaches a thick, egg-white like consistency.
■Method #2: Blend ingredients together in a blender or food processor until the mixture is thick and creamy. Refrigerate
Homemade Egg Substitute
*1/4 cup = 1 large egg
6 egg whites
1/4 cup dry milk powder (non-fat)
1 TBS vegetable oil
■Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth, refrigerate. Can be frozen.
Replacer For Egg Substitute:
■Some low fat or low cholesterol recipes call for a commercial egg substitute. If you don’t have any on hand or wish to cook with fresh eggs instead, 1 fresh egg = 1/4 cup of egg substitute.
■Self Rising Flour Recipe: In a one cup measure, place 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt, then fill to top with flour. Mix well and store in an airtight container if not used right away.
■Half And Half Cream Substitute: In a one cup measure, place 3 Tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted butter. Top up the cup with whole milk. You can also use an equal measure of evaporated milk as a half and half cream substitute.
■Buttermilk Substitute: You can substitute 1 cup of buttermilk with the following quick recipe–In a one cup measuring cup, add 1 TBS of vinegar or lemon juice, then top up the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Set aside for 5 minutes, stir, then use as buttermilk in the recipe.
■Sour Cream Substitute: 1/3 cup milk + 2 teaspoons lemon juice + 1 cup cottage cheese. Process in a blender until smooth.
■Graham Cracker Crumb Crust Substitute: In a pinch you can use crushed corn flakes in place of graham cracker crumbs. Recipe for crust: 2 cups crushed corn flakes*, 1/3 cup melted butter, 2 TBS sugar. Gradually add the melted butter to the crushed corn flakes and sugar. Mix well and press into pie plate (8″ or 9″). Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. *Use the non-frosted corn flakes.
■Chocolate Squares Substitute: 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa & 1/4 cup melted Crisco (Substitution for 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares).
■Soy Sauce Substitute Recipe:: Mix 3 tablespoons molasses, pinch ground ginger, 2 tablespoons Worcester sauce, and a little flour.
■Balsamic Vinegar Substitute:: 1 tablespoon cider vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 TBS balsamic vinegar; or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar = 1 TBS balsamic vinegar; or equal amount of sherry or cider vinegar.
■Molasses Substitute: Honey; Dark Corn Syrup; Maple Syrup
■Lemon Juice Substitute: 2 tablespoons lemon juice = 1 tablespoon vinegar
egg substitutes
*It’s recommended not to replace more than 2 eggs per recipe.
■1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 TBS oil
■1 tsp baking powder + 1 TBS water + 1 TBS vinegar
■2 TBS water or milk + 2 TBS flour + 1/2 TBS shortening + 1/2 tsp baking powder
■1 TBS vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda
■2 TBS lemon juice + 1 tsp baking soda
■1 TBS cornstarch + 3 TBS water for each missing egg
■2 TBS arrowroot flour
■2 TBS potato starch
■1 TBS tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water (mix well & allow to gel a bit before using)
■1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
■1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp baking powder
■2 TBS applesauce
■3 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS flax seed (ground)
3 TBS water
■Method #1: Simmer together on top of stove for about 5 minutes until the consistency reaches a thick, egg-white like consistency.
■Method #2: Blend ingredients together in a blender or food processor until the mixture is thick and creamy. Refrigerate
Homemade Egg Substitute
*1/4 cup = 1 large egg
6 egg whites
1/4 cup dry milk powder (non-fat)
1 TBS vegetable oil
■Mix all ingredients together and blend until smooth, refrigerate. Can be frozen.
Replacer For Egg Substitute:
■Some low fat or low cholesterol recipes call for a commercial egg substitute. If you don’t have any on hand or wish to cook with fresh eggs instead, 1 fresh egg = 1/4 cup of egg substitute.
recipes!
HEre is a list of misc. recipes I've collected recently. I've tried teh pumpkin bread and it's divine...not healthy for you...but.. still really good! I haven't tried teh rest, but they are all from friends, so hopefully they are good :)
BANANA BREAD
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soft shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottom of 9x5x3" loaf pan or spray with Pam with flower.
Mix sugar, shortening and egg. Stir in buttermilk and bananas (if you like banana pieces, don't mash the bananas before adding to the batter). Blend in the dry ingredients until all the flour is moistened. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then take out of pan. Cool completely on rack. Slice when completely cool.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves: 6 - 8
Broth Ingredients
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Calabaza squash, diced ½” - 1 cup
Red onion, diced ½” - ½ cup
Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Sliced jalapeno, no seeds - 2 tsp
Chicken broth, canned - 8 cups
Corn kernels, canned, drained - 1 ½ cups
Tomatoes, ½ “ diced - 1 cup
Jicama, ½” diced - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Lime Juice, fresh squeezed - ¼ cup
Oregano, chopped - 1 tsp
Chicken breast, fully cooked & chopped - 1 pound
Broth
Heat the oil in a large pot until hot. Add the calabaza, onions, jalapenos and garlic, then sauté until they loose their raw appearance. Add the chicken broth, corn, jicama, and tomatoes, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the calabaza is tender. Season to taste with salt, then add the lime juice, oregano and fully cooked sliced chicken breast. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes then cut the heat.
Garnish Ingredients
Cilantro Chopped - 8 tbsp
Avocado, diced ½” - 8 tbsp
Cut the Avocado just before serving to prevent discoloration.
Blue Corn Tortillas 6” -
White Corn Tortillas 6” - 8
Canola or Peanut Oil - 1 cup
Salt - As Needed
Garnish
Cut the tortilla strips into 1/4 inch strips and set aside. Place the oil in a small pan and heat to medium heat. Add small amounts of the strips and fry until crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Lightly season the crisp tortillas with salt. Repeat the process until all the tortillas are fried.
Serve the soup hot, and garnish with diced avocado, chopped cilantro and crisp tortilla strips.
From Relish Online:
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl of a an electric mixer, beat the eggs well, add in the sugar and butter and mix well. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix. Add the flour and spices and mix well. Spread in a 9 X 13-inch greased pan.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
To make frosting: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until just mixed, careful not to over mix. When the brownies are cool, frost. Cut into squares and serve.
Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
1 C Sugar 1 teas. Ginger
2/3 C plain pumpkin ½ teas. Nutmeg
1 teas. Lemon Juice ½ teas. Salt
¾ C flour chopped nuts
1 teas. Baking powder
2 teas. Cinnamon
Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Slowly beat in sugar.
Stir in pumpkin & lemon juice. In separate bowl, combine flour,
baking powder, spices, & salt. Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin
mixture. Spread onto greased & floured cookie sheet. Top with
chopped nuts. Bake at 375 ° for 15 minutes. When done, turn out
on towel, roll up & allow to cool. After cooled, unroll & spread
w/cream cheese mixture (recipe following). Roll it up & chill.
Filling: 1 C powder sugar 6 to 8 oz. cream cheese
4 teas. Butter 1 teas. Vanilla
Beat till creamy & of a frosting consistency.
BANANA BREAD
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soft shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas (3-4 bananas)
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the bottom of 9x5x3" loaf pan or spray with Pam with flower.
Mix sugar, shortening and egg. Stir in buttermilk and bananas (if you like banana pieces, don't mash the bananas before adding to the batter). Blend in the dry ingredients until all the flour is moistened. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then take out of pan. Cool completely on rack. Slice when completely cool.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves: 6 - 8
Broth Ingredients
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Calabaza squash, diced ½” - 1 cup
Red onion, diced ½” - ½ cup
Chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Sliced jalapeno, no seeds - 2 tsp
Chicken broth, canned - 8 cups
Corn kernels, canned, drained - 1 ½ cups
Tomatoes, ½ “ diced - 1 cup
Jicama, ½” diced - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Lime Juice, fresh squeezed - ¼ cup
Oregano, chopped - 1 tsp
Chicken breast, fully cooked & chopped - 1 pound
Broth
Heat the oil in a large pot until hot. Add the calabaza, onions, jalapenos and garlic, then sauté until they loose their raw appearance. Add the chicken broth, corn, jicama, and tomatoes, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the calabaza is tender. Season to taste with salt, then add the lime juice, oregano and fully cooked sliced chicken breast. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes then cut the heat.
Garnish Ingredients
Cilantro Chopped - 8 tbsp
Avocado, diced ½” - 8 tbsp
Cut the Avocado just before serving to prevent discoloration.
Blue Corn Tortillas 6” -
White Corn Tortillas 6” - 8
Canola or Peanut Oil - 1 cup
Salt - As Needed
Garnish
Cut the tortilla strips into 1/4 inch strips and set aside. Place the oil in a small pan and heat to medium heat. Add small amounts of the strips and fry until crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Lightly season the crisp tortillas with salt. Repeat the process until all the tortillas are fried.
Serve the soup hot, and garnish with diced avocado, chopped cilantro and crisp tortilla strips.
From Relish Online:
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl of a an electric mixer, beat the eggs well, add in the sugar and butter and mix well. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix. Add the flour and spices and mix well. Spread in a 9 X 13-inch greased pan.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
To make frosting: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until just mixed, careful not to over mix. When the brownies are cool, frost. Cut into squares and serve.
Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
1 C Sugar 1 teas. Ginger
2/3 C plain pumpkin ½ teas. Nutmeg
1 teas. Lemon Juice ½ teas. Salt
¾ C flour chopped nuts
1 teas. Baking powder
2 teas. Cinnamon
Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Slowly beat in sugar.
Stir in pumpkin & lemon juice. In separate bowl, combine flour,
baking powder, spices, & salt. Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin
mixture. Spread onto greased & floured cookie sheet. Top with
chopped nuts. Bake at 375 ° for 15 minutes. When done, turn out
on towel, roll up & allow to cool. After cooled, unroll & spread
w/cream cheese mixture (recipe following). Roll it up & chill.
Filling: 1 C powder sugar 6 to 8 oz. cream cheese
4 teas. Butter 1 teas. Vanilla
Beat till creamy & of a frosting consistency.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
looking for a deal
I will be the first to admit, I am completely new to the "art" of couponing. I'm learning though! I will just touch on a few basics in this post, and in another one I will get a bit more in depth and post many more places to check out.
One of the things that you may not know if you are just getting into couponing, is many places will let you use a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon together for the same item, and this is apparently where the great savings comes from (combine those with a sale price and/or register rebates and it could even be free!)
So far, the two stores that really stick out as having amazing deals are Target and Walgreens.
There are tons of blogs and other sites out there that do a lot of the "math" for you. I will post some of these in another post. There are also websites that are set up to trade coupons. These are pretty cool, but take a bit of figuring out..at least they did for me, but I have used them successfully, so they can't be tooo hard.
One of the biggest tips I can offer right now... subscribe to the Sunday paper. One of the websites I frequent suggests your local sunday paper as well as the largest paper in the area, because they often get more coupons. Build your collection, and keep it organized. I personally clip all the coupons out, because of the sites I can trade the ones I'm not interested in for ones I do want.
Many times if you go straight to the manufacturers site, they have coupons you can print off their site, that may not normally be in your paper. I have done this with places like 7th generation, pampers, huggies, mrs. T's perogies, colgate, etc. You do have to sign up on their website and "subscribe" so it creates some junk email, but you can always create a seperate email account just for this, that way you don't have to worry about sifting through junk mail to find emails from friends. Some sites offer to mail you things in snail mail instead of online, some offer both. I always take the home mailings, because then I don't have to print the coupons myself, and it makes it easier to trade those coupons if I don't need or want them. Plus it saves my ink and paper.
Staples offers recycling on ink catridges and gives you 3 dollars store credit quarterly. You can turn in 10 a month for money, you can turn in more if you want...but I think it's better to just turn in the 10 in one month and save the otehrs until you have another 10 for another month. You have to sign up for this as well, but it saves you money, as you get 10% back in ink and paper purchases (you need to make sure you have 10 dollars worth for them to give you credit..or make sure you work it so you have enough ink cartridge returns at teh same time).
One of the things that you may not know if you are just getting into couponing, is many places will let you use a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon together for the same item, and this is apparently where the great savings comes from (combine those with a sale price and/or register rebates and it could even be free!)
So far, the two stores that really stick out as having amazing deals are Target and Walgreens.
There are tons of blogs and other sites out there that do a lot of the "math" for you. I will post some of these in another post. There are also websites that are set up to trade coupons. These are pretty cool, but take a bit of figuring out..at least they did for me, but I have used them successfully, so they can't be tooo hard.
One of the biggest tips I can offer right now... subscribe to the Sunday paper. One of the websites I frequent suggests your local sunday paper as well as the largest paper in the area, because they often get more coupons. Build your collection, and keep it organized. I personally clip all the coupons out, because of the sites I can trade the ones I'm not interested in for ones I do want.
Many times if you go straight to the manufacturers site, they have coupons you can print off their site, that may not normally be in your paper. I have done this with places like 7th generation, pampers, huggies, mrs. T's perogies, colgate, etc. You do have to sign up on their website and "subscribe" so it creates some junk email, but you can always create a seperate email account just for this, that way you don't have to worry about sifting through junk mail to find emails from friends. Some sites offer to mail you things in snail mail instead of online, some offer both. I always take the home mailings, because then I don't have to print the coupons myself, and it makes it easier to trade those coupons if I don't need or want them. Plus it saves my ink and paper.
Staples offers recycling on ink catridges and gives you 3 dollars store credit quarterly. You can turn in 10 a month for money, you can turn in more if you want...but I think it's better to just turn in the 10 in one month and save the otehrs until you have another 10 for another month. You have to sign up for this as well, but it saves you money, as you get 10% back in ink and paper purchases (you need to make sure you have 10 dollars worth for them to give you credit..or make sure you work it so you have enough ink cartridge returns at teh same time).
have stuff you don't want anymore? Stuff you want?
Obviously you could donate it, thats always a noble thing to do, but They don't always accept everything you have that you don't want any longer.
Another option, which is one of my favorites, is a yahoo group called FReecycle.org
Look through yahoo groups, or goggle them and find the group in your local area. It's made up of people in your local area, who have things they want to get rid of and things they are looking for. BEst of all, it's all free. The person doing the "begging" has to pick up the item, either from your home, or from a location you choose to meet at.
I have been using Freecycle for the last year and absolutely love it. I have given away some items I no longer need, and have gotten things I need, that others dont. Including a very nice queen sized bed and box spring..completely free!
I have saw people offer moving boxes, packing peanuts, screen doors, computers, and virtually everything in between. You never know what someone has that they are willing to give away, and you never know what some one else wants. It's a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle!
Another option, which is one of my favorites, is a yahoo group called FReecycle.org
Look through yahoo groups, or goggle them and find the group in your local area. It's made up of people in your local area, who have things they want to get rid of and things they are looking for. BEst of all, it's all free. The person doing the "begging" has to pick up the item, either from your home, or from a location you choose to meet at.
I have been using Freecycle for the last year and absolutely love it. I have given away some items I no longer need, and have gotten things I need, that others dont. Including a very nice queen sized bed and box spring..completely free!
I have saw people offer moving boxes, packing peanuts, screen doors, computers, and virtually everything in between. You never know what someone has that they are willing to give away, and you never know what some one else wants. It's a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle!
been thinking
when I started this blog I basically just wanted to have a place to store recipes and patterns for homemade things that I stumbled across. I never really thought about a whole lot beyond that. While I still plan to continue to do exactly that, I realize now that there is more to getting back to the basics than just food from scratch or patterns, or homemade cleaning detergents... It's also about being healthy and even saving money and the environment. I won't bog down my blog with a lot of things that are all over teh news, as much as I find the gulf oil geyser a disaster and absolutely gut wrenching...it's everywhere. You can see reports on that where ever you want. Instead, I will be posting things more like DIY (do it yourself) projects to reuse something you might throw away, or passing along sites that offer an opportunity to recycle or reuse instead of just throwing it away. I will start passing on natural remedies instead of just relying on medicine. I will pass on sites or deals for great money saving opportunities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
